The Half Breed Diaries
by Endlessly Drowning
Summary: When someone new is bitten, it will change things more than anyone can imagine. Everyone will be affected. But how will they each cope with the outcome? Relationships will be tested, and others will be formed.
1. Chapter 1 Dilemma

**_Disclaimer - The fabulous characters of my story, with the exception of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

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Jacob walked swiftly, quietly through the forest, brushing past the trees with an unnatural grace. The woods were where he felt free. He could breathe in the moist, clean air and push away the thoughts he hated most.

He thought about phasing, but quickly decided against it. He wanted his thoughts to be his own, not shared among the others. His heart was pounding in his chest. Though his steps were quick, he knew it had nothing to do with his racing heart.

He stopped for a minute, raising his head to the sky and taking a long, deep, calming breath. He stared for awhile at the lush green canopy covering the ever present clouds, letting the rain that made it through the treetops run down his face. Finally he hung his head and continued at his brisk pace. He listened to the water crashing against the rocks and let the constant rhythm calm his nerves.

It had been almost two months since Bella married him. She'd done it, gone and married the bloodsucker. At least before the wedding he could tell himself she might change her mind. Every day he woke up thinking that today might be the day, the day she would run to him and tell him she couldn't do it, she wouldn't marry Edward.

But that day never came. He thought of going and watching; not attending of course, but watching the ceremony from the sidelines. But he knew if he were that close he wouldn't be able to control himself. He knew he would have gone and grabbed Bella and run as far and as fast as he could. Or worse, torn the bloodsucker apart right there and then. But he'd promised Bella; he had told her he would let go, that he would stop pulling her in two different directions. He'd told her he would just be her friend.

But that never happened. He hadn't spoken to her since that last day in his room, when he promised her he would stop pulling and let her walk out his door. He had heard nothing from Edward since he sent him that dreaded invitation. Jacob shuddered and pushed the thought of that day from his mind.

The day of their wedding he woke up and went straight into the forest, pacing and running all day long. When he had finally come home, one look from Billy was all he needed. One look told him that Billy had spoken to Charlie; that Bella had gone through with it. His life since that day had gone by in a haze. He went day to day not really paying any attention to what he was doing. He patrolled when Sam told him to patrol, trying desperately to keep his head clear of the thoughts he didn't want the others to hear.

He hated being around them, seeing the look of pity in their eyes, listening to the insults they hurled at the bloodsucker, all in an effort to make him feel better. When school started he went, never really focusing, just going through the motions like everything else he did. At least the others seemed to be giving up now. They had stopped trying to cheer him up and take his mind off of it. Now they just said hi, made small talk, and walked away.

All except for Leah, of course, who had been annoyingly persistent at their friendship since he'd saved her the day of the big fight. She drove him nuts, always talking a mile a minute about things he could care less about.

He knew Billy was worried about him. At first Billy had tried to talk things through. Then he was just quiet for awhile. Then he got angry and tried to yell. Now he just sent worried glances every now and then. Jacob knew Billy talked to Sam, asked what thoughts Sam had been able to hear. But what little Sam could hear was never anything new. His thoughts were Bella; always Bella. Billy would talk to Charlie and update Jacob on what was happening with Bella. He was just waiting for the day Billy told him that she and Edward had gone off to some faraway college. But surprisingly that day hadn't come yet.

He had been sure that right after the wedding they would have left, but as far as he knew they were still in Forks. And Bella was still unchanged. Some tiny part of him hoped that she'd changed her mind, that she wouldn't let Edward change her into a vampire. But, truthfully, he knew that she would never change her mind, and that eventually it would happen, and the Bella he knew would be forever gone.

He kicked his bare foot against the wide tree trunk. He hated that his thoughts were always her, that he couldn't get her off of his mind. He wondered how often she thought of him, if she missed him; if she ever regretted choosing Edward instead of him. Instead of a normal life where she didn't have to give up her humanity.

The thought of her being bitten, of her dying, of her being one of…

He had to stop thinking about Bella. He took in a deep breath to stop the quivering. When he wasn't just going through the motions he felt angry. When he didn't feel angry he felt nothing.

He stopped walking and just stared ahead, seeing nothing. He was pretty sure the pain would stop one day. He just didn't know when that day would come. He wanted that day now. Now that he knew he had no chance with Bella, that her life would forever be with Edward, he wanted her out of his mind. He wanted to stop picturing her face, her smile; he wanted to stop hearing her voice. But he never could.

He sat down on the moss covered ground and put his head between his hands. He leaned his back on a massive tree trunk and just sat, trying to force the unwanted thoughts out of his head.

After a few minutes of deep breathing he felt better. Well, not really better, just not angry. Dead again, empty. He thought back to the year before, to the day Bella had come to see him. She had looked horrible, sad…dead, like he felt now. But she came back again, and again, and slowly he had watched her come back to life.

He wondered what, if anything, would bring him back to life. He longed for those days, when he would sit in the garage and work, when he and Embry and Quil would just hang out; there was no patrolling, and they weren't werewolves. When the Cullen's were gone, and Bella came, and she wasn't his; but she wasn't Edward's either.

But he knew that wasn't true. He knew Bella had really always been _his_. He closed his eyes and tried to think of something, anything else. He tried to think about school, but he couldn't really remember what he was studying. Or rather, what he was supposed to be studying.

He tried thinking about the guys, but he realized he had no idea what was going on with any of them. It had been so long since he had talked, really talked, to Embry or Quil; or anyone for that matter. He was so desperate for a distraction that he tried to remember the last useless thing Leah had babbled about. He thought it was some movie she wanted to see, but he couldn't remember the name of it.

It was while he was sitting there with his head between his hands, his eyes closed, trying to force his mind to remember the name of the movie; grasping at anything that wasn't Bella, when he heard the rustling in the brush. His head snapped up, looking off to the south. He held his breath to hear better, and the rustling continued. He sniffed the air, trying to figure out who, or what, was making the sound. He knew it wasn't a vampire. He'd be able to smell the thing from a mile away.

He stood up and started walking toward the sound. Maybe someone was patrolling in the area? He tried to remember who had been scheduled to patrol that day, if anyone had even been scheduled, but of course he hadn't paid attention.

Phasing and patrolling wasn't even something he enjoyed anymore. He had to try so hard to keep his thoughts away from Bella, to try and keep them private from the others. Usually he would sing some random song over and over in his head. He knew it drove them crazy, but he figured it was better than them hearing about Bella. At least the song changed day to day.

The rustling became louder; he knew he was getting closer to the source of the sound. He kept walking in the direction of the rustling. He wasn't scared; he knew there was nothing out there that could hurt him, nothing that he couldn't take.

Maybe he would prefer if it were a vampire; tearing it to pieces would be a great way to get his anger out. He came up to a line of trees, and froze mid step. He looked through the trees ahead at the girl walking through the forest alone. She was walking slowly, parallel to him, looking up toward the sky.

She wore brown hiking boots, blue jeans, and a black t-shirt. She had no raincoat, instead just letting the moisture that made it through the canopy of treetops soak through her. She had brown hair, cut short, the pieces all different lengths.

She was short, more than a foot shorter than his six foot six inch frame. She wasn't thin, but it was obvious that she was very athletic. Her body was compact and toned. She had a symmetrical face, with a narrow, thin nose, high cheekbones, and thin lips. Her face looked open, peaceful, like she was completely at home in her surroundings. Her steps were slow and purposeful. She stopped, continued to look up, and closed her eyes. She took a long, deep breath and smiled.

But none of this was what caught Jacob's attention. He stood there, trying to calm himself, trying to make his breathing steady, to make his heart stop racing. His head was swimming and he felt dizzy, like he might fall over. He looked away from her and grabbed the trunk of the nearest tree for support. He had never seen this girl in his life, but whoever she was, this lone girl walking through the forest, this girl who looked so calm, so peaceful; whoever she was, she had answered his dilemma.

He knew that thinking of Bella was no longer his biggest problem. Because whoever this girl was, Jacob had just imprinted on her.


	2. Chapter 2 The Imprint

**_Disclaimer - The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

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Jacob ran as fast as he could; as fast as he could run in his human form, at least. The trees raced by, the air hitting his face hard and wet. He didn't know how long he ran, but he finally stopped, wiping his face with the back of his hand and placing both hands on his knees for support. His breathing came in gasps that he knew had nothing to do with physical exertion. His whole body shook with convulsions; he knew he needed to calm himself down, and now.

He concentrated on breathing; in, and out, in, and out; deep, steady breaths. He felt the convulsions slow down more and more, until they finally stopped. He straightened up slowly, closing his eyes. He paced back and forth quickly, feeling his anger rise with each step.

_No_, he thought. No, no, no! He felt whatever part of him that had imprinted on the unknown girl trying to pull him back to her, and he fought it with everything he had. This wasn't right; this was not what he wanted. He never wanted to imprint. Well, that wasn't entirely true. He _had_ wanted to imprint, but only on Bella. He had tried so hard, had tried to force it to happen, but it never had. It wasn't the kind of thing one could control.

No! He would control it; he was not going back to that girl. He felt himself being pulled in her direction involuntarily, and he stopped pacing and used every ounce of strength he had to stand his ground. Why had this happened now? He wanted to stop thinking about Bella, but he didn't want someone else to think about. Even now the thought of Bella almost seemed like a distant memory, his mind was so consumed with this girl.

He pictured her face, so open; her lithe, graceful steps, her peaceful smile. He pictured her pale skin and her small features. She had looked so small, so tiny, standing there alone in the middle of the tall trees. Like a porcelain doll. Something, some place in his mind told him to go back to her.

_No!_ He wanted nothing to do with her. He didn't know the girl, but he tried desperately to force himself to hate her. Why was this happening now? Who was she, and what was she doing here, alone in the middle of the forest? His forest, the one place he could come and feel some sort of peace.

He felt that part of him, the part that had imprinted, trying to go back to her, to do what was natural for him; for his kind. He thought of Sam and Emily, of Jared and Kim; of the way they looked at each other, and how they were inseparable, how they were each other's missing half. He knew that they belonged together, that they were meant to be with each other. That was how imprinting worked. They were everything that the other needed. Everything that they could ever want.

But he didn't want her. He didn't know her, and he didn't want to know her. He wanted nothing to do with her. But could he keep himself away from her? The pull he felt to her was getting stronger and stronger; he felt his feet trying to pull him in her direction.

He balled up his fists, gritted his teeth, and worked even harder to remain in place. He would stay away from her; if it killed him, he was going to stay away. He started pacing again, singing random lyrics in his head, trying to divert his thoughts. Eventually he started walking through the forest again, trying hard to keep himself from going back in her direction. He walked slowly, methodically, all the time with a picture of her face in his mind.

As hard as he might try, he couldn't get the picture of her to go away. He was sure he had her face memorized by now; that he could draw all of its features from memory. He wondered who she was. He knew everyone in La Push, and most of the people in Forks, by sight at least. He hadn't recognized this girl at all.

Who was she, and what was she doing in the forest; and alone in the forest, at that? They didn't get too many strangers in La Push; it wasn't exactly a hotspot for tourists. But he definitely had never seen this girl before, and even if she was new to Forks, he was sure he would have heard something about her. Forks was a small town, and things got around fast. And whatever got around Forks always made its way to La Push.

Maybe she was visiting someone. But who would she be visiting? He was still sure that, if that were the case, he would have heard something. She looked like she was fairly young; at least no older than him. Maybe she _was_ new to Forks. But that still didn't explain why she would be in La Push, walking around the forest alone. Sure, kids from Forks came up to La Push, but they were always in groups, and almost always at First Beach. She could have walked into the forest from the beach. But today was definitely not a day to be at the beach.

Of course, there was never great beach weather in La Push, but some days were better than others. Every once in a while they got a day when the sun would peek out from behind the clouds and the weather would be in the sixties or seventies. This was not one of those days. The sky was full of endless clouds, and while the rain wasn't heavy, it had been falling steadily all day.

And she hadn't even been wearing a raincoat. She was probably going to freeze. He laughed at this as he looked down at his bare chest and feet. All he was wearing was a pair of black sweatpants. But that was different. He was pretty sure her temperature wasn't running one oh nine. But he didn't care if she froze. He just wanted to get her off of his mind. She had to be just visiting the reservation. And that meant that she would leave, eventually, and he just had to make sure and stay away from her. He would stay here in the woods if he had to.

Of course, for the time being, the woods were where she was. He considered going home; he was certain that he wouldn't run into her in his bedroom with the door locked. But he knew he didn't want to go home. He didn't like being there, under Billy's watchful, uncertain eye. He didn't like looking around and remembering; remembering Bella.

He realized he hadn't thought about her in a while, that he had only been thinking of the girl. As uneasy as he felt about the unknown girl who made him so angry, he realized it was a relief not to have every thought turned to Bella. It didn't hurt him, or upset him. It was just a relief, not to be obsessing over something he knew would never be his. Of course, now he was obsessing about this other person, this person he knew nothing about. This person he had imprinted on. And he knew he could probably be with her, that now they were meant…

_No!_ He would not let his thoughts go there. He could wonder about her, question her, and he knew he couldn't stop thinking about her; but he would not think of them together. Just a couple hours before he had been moping about his love for Bella, and now he was going to start thinking of himself with this other girl? No, he was not. But was it possible, to keep away from this girl who, according to their legends, he was now destined for? Who was now destined for him?

He thought back to Sam. Sam, who had been so in love with Leah; and she had been in love with him. He was convinced his future was with her, that they were forever. He had made her promises. And then he saw Emily, Leah's cousin. All it took was one look, and his entire future had changed; because he imprinted on her. From the moment he laid eyes on Emily, he had been with her. And he would never, could never, be with anyone else. All Sam saw was Emily, all he thought of was Emily. Jacob should know; he could often hear Sam's thoughts. And Sam had broken Leah's heart. He couldn't help it, of course; but nevertheless, he had.

But Jacob wouldn't be breaking anyone's heart. Bella wasn't in love with him. Well, she did love him, she had even admitted it; but it wasn't enough to pull her away from Edward. He once told her that Edward was like a drug for her. And it was true, she couldn't be without him. But she could be without Jacob. The pang he usually felt when he thought of Bella was absent, and while he didn't miss it, the reason for its absence made him angry.

He didn't want to imprint. It wasn't that he wanted to love someone else; he didn't want to love anybody. He wanted to stop thinking about Bella, wanted to stop loving her, but he had never planned on having someone fill that hole. And no one would. All he had to do was stay away from that girl, whoever she may be. He thought of the rest of the pack, of what they would say when they found out.

The rest of the pack. When they found out. It was easy enough not to tell anyone that he had imprinted, but when he phased his mind was open to everyone else that was phased at the time. Even as hard as he tried not to think about Bella during those times, he slipped up often. But everyone already knew about Bella, so it really wasn't that big of a deal. He didn't want anyone to know this. All it would take was one slip up, and the pack would know. And then Billy would know. Everyone would know. And they would tell him he couldn't fight it, that it was meant to be; that she was meant to be his.

Well, he was going to fight it. The imprinting was strong, he could feel it; the longing to be with this girl he didn't even know. But he would just have to be stronger. He could be. He could fight it, his anger would fuel it; and boy, was he angry. What kind of hand was this that he was being dealt? Not a fair one, that was for sure.

But he was meant to be this girl's everything; that's what the imprinting meant. Her friend and confidante; her companion and lover. Her protector when in danger; her shoulder to cry on when she was hurting. What if she needed that and he was taking it away from her? What if there was a reason that his kind imprinted on the ones they did, some need that the other person had that was their job to fulfill? What if she had something that he needed? Or something he wanted?

But he didn't want it; he didn't want her! She would have to live without him. What could he give her anyway, as broken as he felt? But he knew that he wasn't broken, not entirely; that imprinting in itself had healed something that needed to be healed, whether he wanted it to or not. Already what he felt for Bella seemed insignificant to the feelings he had now. His love for her, which had seemed so strong, so unbreakable, already felt like it was fading. It wasn't gone, but it didn't consume him as it once had.

Instead his head was consumed with her; with the one picture of her he had in his mind. With her face, her smile. He found himself wondering how she smelled, what her voice sounded like. He wondered what it would be like to look at her everyday, and love her, and know that she loved him. Because she would; he knew that if he went to her she would, there was no question. That was just how it worked. He wondered what it would feel like to love someone, and be with someone who wanted to be with him, and only him. He wondered what it would feel like to look into her eyes. He hadn't been able to see her eyes from where he had stood; he didn't even know what color they were. But he knew that to him, they would be beautiful.

She was a beautiful girl, very small and petite, but strong somehow. The way she walked almost made her look like she was floating; it was so elegant and graceful. She looked so at home in the forest, like he was. And she had looked confident, not at all scared or uncertain. He stopped walking, closed his eyes, and pressed his hands to the sides of his head, trying to force the thoughts out. He had only seen this girl for maybe a minute, and already he was thinking of her every move. He didn't want to think about her anymore.

He had to think of something else. He remembered how just a few short hours before, he had been trying to find a similar distraction to take his thoughts from Bella. He found that ironic, and very disturbing, that in just a short time this girl took that place. He looked around him, now noticing that the day was coming to an end. The forest was darkening, and it was chillier than it had been last time he remembered. He must have been walking for hours; he didn't even know where he was in the forest.

He sat down on the ground, scooting back against a tree trunk and laying his long arms across his knees. He reached up with one hand to stroke his ponytail and felt that it had come undone. He pulled the rubber band out and once again wound it around his hair.

Everyone in the pack wore a buzz cut, with the exception of Leah, of course. When he'd first changed, he had cut his hair along with them. But he'd thought Bella liked his hair better long, so he had started growing it out again. Now it was down to his shoulders. It made him look different than the others when he was phased; he was much shaggier than the rest of the guys. But he found he really did prefer his hair this way, and had decided Bella or no Bella, he would wear it long.

The others didn't like it, but what could they do? He was second in command, and he was supposed to be first; he didn't take orders from anyone anymore. He could give orders now, but he never did. He didn't want to be in command. He didn't want to be a werewolf. After all, if he wasn't a werewolf, he never would have imprinted. And he definitely didn't want to imprint. He thought of the others, wondering if they wanted to imprint. If they were waiting for the day they found their other halves. He wondered about Leah, who was still in love with Sam. Did she want to imprint? Was she waiting for the day when her match would come along and she could stop obsessing over Sam?

He could hear her thoughts when they were phased, and they were always bitter, and always about Sam. At least, they had been. He couldn't actually remember the last time he heard her think about Sam. It couldn't have been too long ago though; that's what she always thought about.

She pestered Jacob a lot; she felt some kind of connection to him after he had saved her life that he didn't share. He had known her his whole life, and she had really always annoyed him. When she changed and become one of them he hadn't been very happy about it; none of them had ever expected a girl to change, and nobody enjoyed listening to her angry thoughts about Sam and Emily.

Of course, she had reason to be angry. But they still didn't want to hear about it all the time. Sam and Emily felt terrible about what they'd done to Leah. But there was no way they could help it. They were destined to be together, and always would. The scars that marred Emily's body were proof enough of that. Even though Sam had gotten angry and slashed Emily's right side from her face straight down to her arm, they were still together. Because that's the way it was meant to be.

But not for him; no, he would not be with that unknown girl. He couldn't be. He didn't want to be in love at all. The pull he felt to her was strong. It took everything he had in him to stay seated; his body was trying frantically to get up and go to her, he knew that, could feel it in every bone. But he wouldn't. He would stay away, and eventually she would be gone. He would probably never see her again. And that was good; he had no idea what he would do if he saw her again, willingly or otherwise.

And then, a part of him felt an overwhelming sadness that he wouldn't look at her again, would never see her smile again, or know what color her eyes were. But that part he pushed back and tried desperately to keep away. He put his head in his hands, and decided it was time to get up and make his way home. But he made no attempt to move.

And just then, a loud scream shattered the silence of the forest.

He shot up, frantically looking around, trying to discern the direction the scream had come from. It came again, loud and strong, from the west, and it didn't sound like it was very far away. He ran, as hard and as fast as possible, praying that the scream wasn't what he thought. As he ran, he looked around and realized that, in his hours of aimless walking, he had made his way back into the area of forest where he'd seen the girl.

He shook his head, screaming to himself that it couldn't be her. Just then he came to a dense area in the forest, an empty circle surrounded by tall trees. He looked into the clearing, and froze in his place. The girl lay on the ground, looking so tiny, so helpless. The man who crouched over her looked bigger, but not bigger than him. He called out, and the man turned.

Jacob tensed; while there was something off, there was no doubt in his mind that, by the looks of this man, he was a vampire. Something was wrong about him, but there was no mistaking the pale, almost translucent skin, the dark circles under the eyes, the ethereal beauty that only his enemies held. Why hadn't he smelled him? He could smell the bloodsuckers from a mile away, but here he stood, just a few feet away, and he couldn't smell anything.

In the moment it had taken him to discern what was happening the vampire stood and straightened out. He looked at Jacob and a confident smile came across his face. He was maybe six feet tall, with blonde hair. Strangely enough his eyes looked blue, not the black of a hungry vampire, or the crimson of a well fed one; not even a golden butterscotch like the Cullen's were after they fed, due to their diet of only animal blood. He had very hard, angular, squared features.

But there was no mistaking that beauty; he was a vampire. Jacob looked down at the girl, and a ferocious growl ripped through him. She wasn't torn apart, barely looked touched actually, but he could see blood at her neck; she had been bitten, and she wasn't moving.

Jacob growled again, and felt his body convulse. Without even thinking about it he phased. The confident smile on the vampire's lips quickly faded and was replaced with shock.

Jacob crouched down, ready to attack; ready to rip him apart. But then he stopped. He looked down at the girl. He looked back up at the vampire who stared back for just a moment, before taking off. Jacob knew if he chased him, he would catch him; but he made no attempt to follow. He calmed himself and quickly phased back to his human form. He took the extra pair of pants he always had tied around his leg and put them on to replace the ones that had ripped to shreds when he phased. Then he made his way slowly to where the girl lay.

She looked like she might just be sleeping. Her eyes were closed and her face looked peaceful. If it weren't for the marks on her neck he would never be able to tell anything was wrong. But they were there; the bloodsucker had definitely bitten her. He slowly knelt next to her and reached to her neck to feel for a pulse that he knew wouldn't be there.

But it was there; still strong. She wasn't dead. A part of him cried out with relief. Another part of him wondered how this could be. Why hadn't the vampire torn her apart? They weren't usually so meticulous in their attacks. Their victims were usually ripped to pieces. But she only had this one mark on her neck, and obviously he hadn't drained all her blood, because her heart was still beating strong. He felt the relief once again at knowing she was alive, and started to try and wake her, figuring she must have passed out from the shock. And then he froze suddenly. Finally he pulled his hand away

She'd been bitten. The vampire had bitten her. She was still alive. But she was bitten. And that meant; that she would turn.

It screamed its way into his head, and he closed his eyes against the pain it brought. He wanted to scream out loud; he bit his lip hard to kept silent. He stood up and started backing away from the girl; because now he was supposed to kill her. That's what he was supposed to do. That was what he was made to do; werewolves killed vampires. He was a werewolf, and now she would become a vampire. She was going to become a vampire, and it was Jacob's fault.

He'd imprinted on her, and instead of going to her, he fled. And now she had been attacked. And now he was supposed to kill this girl, this girl he didn't know; this girl he hated and somehow desperately loved all at the same time. He was supposed to look at her face, a face that some part of him loved, and then he was supposed to kill her. He felt sick, like he might throw up, or pass out. He felt like screaming and shouting and crying; because he had done this. If he had been there, she would never have been attacked. But he had run. He hadn't wanted to be with her, he couldn't.

But he hadn't wanted her to die. He didn't feel like he could bear it. And to be the one to kill her. How was he going to do that? He could bring her to one of the others, ask them to do it. But they would want to know why he couldn't do it, and he couldn't tell them. And he would still have to watch her die. He looked over her still form and thought about watching her being ripped to pieces; or worse, ripping her to pieces himself. His mind screamed 'no' so forcefully that it knocked him back.

Whatever part of him that felt a duty to kill her was overshadowed by the part that he knew loved her. He squeezed his eyes shut, pacing back and forth. And then he stopped. It was suddenly surprisingly clear what he was going to do. He walked to her, slowly, and bent over her. He stared at her face, and his head told him to just do it, to get it over with.

He bent down in one fluid motion and scooped her up. She felt weightless, and was soaked through. Her tiny body hung limp in his arms. He cradled her to his chest, and began running through the forest, the darkness having completely overtaken the day. He ran at full speed until he got there. He stopped for a moment in front of the house, his mind debating, wondering if he was doing the right thing, when the front door opened.

Edward walked out, staring at Jacob. He looked at the girl hanging limply in his arms, and then looked into Jacob's eyes, staring for a moment; then he yelled for Carlisle.

Carlisle came to the door, stepping out and freezing as soon as he saw Jacob and the girl.

"Jacob," Carlisle said slowly, "what's going on here?"

Jacob looked from Carlisle to Edward and back again. Then he looked down at the girls face. He bent his head ever so slightly towards hers, and then stopped and snapped it back up again. He rushed forward up the steps and put the girl into Carlisle's arms, ignoring his incredulous expression.

"Jacob, I don't…"

"Please… just don't let her die," he interrupted, and then bounded away into the forest.


	3. Chapter 3 Carlisle

**_Disclaimer - The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

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Carlisle sat in his office reading when he heard Edward call his name. It only took a few seconds for him to rush out of his office and down the stairs, having already smelled the presence of a werewolf on the way down. He stepped out the front door and froze; standing at the bottom of the steps was Jacob, holding the body of an unconscious girl close to his chest.

"Jacob, what's going on here?"

Jacob looked from him to Edward and back again, with such a pained, almost torn expression. Then he bent his face down toward the girls, almost as if he meant to kiss her, then snapped it back up quickly. He hurried up the steps and put the girl into Carlisle's arms.

Carlisle stared in confusion. "Jacob, I don't…"

"Please…just don't let her die," Jacob interrupted, and then ran off toward the forest.

Carlisle looked down at the girl in confusion, and then back up at Edward.

"Would you like to explain what's going on, Edward?"

"I was only with him for a moment before I called to you, but apparently he believes this girl was bitten by a vampire."

It was only then that Carlisle noticed the gash in the left side of her throat. He rushed the girl inside and laid her out on the couch. He looked her over. He knew the bite hadn't killed her; he could hear that her heart beating, although it was audibly slowing. She didn't appear to have had much blood drained from her system.

The bite was clean and meticulous, and it seemed to be the only injury she'd sustained. Nothing seemed to be broken. He looked down at her in confusion, then over to Edward, and back down again. He could only smell what must have been the girl's natural scent.

"Edward," he began slowly, "can you…smell this girl? Her blood, I mean."

"No, I can't," he replied. "I can smell her, but it just seems to be her human scent. I mean, I'm not drawn to the blood. I can't detect it at all."

"Neither can I. It's very strange."

Carlisle leaned over her to take a closer look at the mark on her neck. The small crescent shapes looked to have been made by a vampire. He put his nose directly to the bite and sniffed. And there it was; the smell of the venom. It smelled wrong, like it was somehow diluted; but the scent was unmistakably there. He straightened up, more confused than ever.

"Jacob was right; this girl has been bitten by a vampire. I can smell the venom in her wound. It's very faint, almost diluted, but it is there," he explained, although Edward had already heard everything in his thoughts. "What did you see in?"

"He was very upset, everything was jumbled together. I saw Jacob running. I saw him looking at the girl; she was lying on the ground and there was a figure crouched over her; the sun was just setting. I saw him look into her face as she lay unconscious. I heard him saying over and over 'he bit her, the…bloodsucker bit her'."

"Is that it?"

"Yes," Edward lied. He didn't feel it was his place to tell Carlisle everything he had seen and heard, and chose to keep it to himself. "Carlisle," he began slowly, "I don't understand. How could this girl be bitten? She looks almost as if she's sleeping. She doesn't seem to be in any pain at all."

"That's a very good question," he mused thoughtfully.

He began to look her over again. He felt her pulse at the wrist. It was slowing. That wasn't right; it should have been rapid at the beginning of the transformation. He felt her skin; nothing felt different about it at all. He straightened up once again and began pacing the room.

"Is it at all possible that not enough venom entered her blood to cause a transformation?" asked Edward. "That perhaps she has just passed out from the shock of the attack?"

"I don't think so. It doesn't take a great amount of venom to begin the transformation, and I can smell that venom is present. Her heart is also slowing." Carlisle walked back over to the girl, and slapped her face, being careful to use very little strength. She continued to lie there, unresponsive. He lifted her torso and shook her, but once again got no response.

"No, she is not just passed out; there would have been some sort of response."

"Is this possible, for a human to react this way to the bite?"

"Not that I've ever seen. Every change I've seen has been accompanied by great physical pain."

And then a long ago memory crept into Carlisle's mind. A story he'd heard long ago, a legend told by an old friend. A friend who had described transformations like this one. He looked down at the girl, shocked.

"What is it?" asked Edward hurriedly. He had flipped through the memories too quickly for them to be clear.

"There's no time to explain now, Edward. I need you to take this girl upstairs and put her in a room, close her in there and leave her alone. I need to go now if I'm going to be back in time."

"Why are you going to Massachusetts?" Edward demanded, having already discerned the destination from Carlisle's thoughts.

"I need to see an old friend. Put her in the room, leave her there. Tell the others when they return not to disturb her; they may come back early if Alice has seen something."

He rushed out of the room, quickly returning with keys in his hand.

"Carlisle," began Edward angrily, "what is going…"

"Not now Edward!" he almost shouted.

Edward looked slightly taken aback. It was very rare that Carlisle raised his voice, and Edward didn't understand any of the thoughts going through his head. Carlisle was very skilled in hiding thoughts he didn't want Edward to see.

"I will explain everything as soon as I get back. Please, just do as I've asked," he said, and darted out the door.

Carlisle drove as fast as the Mercedes would take him on the highway toward the airport, going twice the legal limit, a million thoughts running through his head. What he was thinking couldn't be true. Even when he had heard the story he hadn't quite believed it. It just hadn't seemed possible. Even if he had believed it, according to the legend they had already died out long before he'd been told of it.

But what was happening to this girl, if not that? He had never seen anyone have this kind of reaction. If it weren't for the bite having been so obvious, he would have thought she was just fine. She appeared to only be sleeping peacefully. There had to be some other explanation. And what had Jacob seen? The only thoughts Edward was able to distinguish had been fragmented; he hadn't been able to get any kind of explanation from them.

And why had Jacob even brought the girl to them? If he knew that this girl had been bitten, why hadn't he just destroyed her? That was what Carlisle would have expected Jacob to do; what he would have expected from any of the pack But instead he brought her to Carlisle and asked him not to let her die. Why was he so concerned about someone who would certainly turn into a vampire, an enemy of his? Carlisle knew Jacob was a nice boy, but he still never expected him to do anything like this. He had often made his feelings about vampires very clear.

Had he known her previously? Had he been with her? How had she been attacked? And if Jacob had been there to bring her to Carlisle, why hadn't he stopped her from being bitten, killed whoever had attacked her before they got the chance?

These were the questions running through his mind as he swung the Mercedes into a parking spot and got out of the car, having made it there in half the usual time due to his quick driving. He walked quickly, probably quicker than he should have under watchful human eyes, but he knew he needed to hurry. He took the elevator to the main floor and made his way to the ticket counter.

"Can I help you, sir?" asked the female behind the counter, giving him a look he was used to receiving from women.

"I need to get on the next flight you have to Boston, please."

"Well, let's see what I can do for you tonight," she said, beginning to type on the keyboard in front of her.

"Thank you," he said, catching the double meaning in her words.

"It looks like we have a red eye leaving in about two hours; and good news, it looks like it's straight through. The ticket is going to be quite expensive though."

"That will be fine," he replied and handed her a credit card and ID.

She typed in all the information, the clicking continuing for a few minutes. Then she handed him both of the cards and a ticket.

"Will that be all?" she asked, subtly batting her eyelashes.

"Yes."

"Well, I hope you enjoy your flight. Have a great night," she said, putting on a big smile.

"Thank you very much for your help," he replied, and walked away toward the elevators.

He followed the signs to his desired terminal, making his way through security. He got to his gate and sat to wait out the next two hours. Waiting was not a problem for him; he had been alive for a very long time, and had grown very patient over the years. He pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket and typed in a number.

"Yes, may I please speak to Doctor Snow? This is Doctor Cullen," he said, and was placed on hold.

"Doctor Snow, hello, this is Doctor Cullen. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be able to make it in tomorrow, I have something of an emergency I need to take care of. No, everyone's fine, I just need to take care of something. Yes, I believe I may need a few days. I think you're right; this is the first time I've taken time off. I hope it won't present a problem. Great, thank you very much. Thank you, I'm sure everything will be fine. Goodbye."

He closed the phone and placed it back in his pocket. He sat back in the chair to wait; and to think. Who was this girl? What had happened to her? Why had her attack been so…clean? Why hadn't her attacker torn her apart, as most of their kind did?

What if what he suspected was true, what would he do then? She looked so young, so small. What was she going to think when she woke; how was she going to react? Her whole life was changed now, whether what he thought was true or not. She would change, somehow. What about her family? In truth, he was all she had now; he and the others, of course. But what if it was true? Would she stay with them? Would he allow her?

Of course he would. He couldn't just send her off to be alone, after what had happened. She would need someone, a family; just as he had been for the others. But she would be different. Would that be an issue? He couldn't recall everything William had told him. But he knew she would be different. What would she want? Would she want to stay, to be with him and the others? Of course it would be difficult, losing her family, her whole life. But surely she wouldn't want to be all alone. How old was she? Was she still in school?

_Oh no_, he thought. Was she from Forks? He thought he knew most of the people in the small town, and if he hadn't recognized her then surely Edward would have; they would have attended school together. But she didn't look familiar. And Edward hadn't seemed to recognize her. If she lived in Forks that would be a difficult situation. Her family would be there. She wouldn't be able to stay.

"Flight eleven forty two to Boston will now begin boarding," he heard over the loudspeaker. He went to stand in the short line of those boarding the plane, handing his boarding pass to the man by the door when he got to the front. The man tore off a section and handed it back.

"Have a nice flight sir," he said and smiled.

"Thank you," Carlisle replied, giving him a small smile.

He walked through the narrow hall toward the plane; when he entered he saw a female stewardess standing at the front

"Hello sir," she said with a big smile, looking a little flushed.

Carlisle sighed. "Hello," he said, making his way past her.

The other passengers continued to board the plane, stowing their luggage and taking their seats. He had brought no luggage, not even an overnight bag. There was nothing that he needed, and besides, he didn't plan on being gone very long. The plane finished boarding and the stewards began preparing for take off. The pilot came over the intercom, introducing himself and announcing the flight length and what the weather in Boston was expected to be like. Then they began doing the safety demonstration, showing how to put on your seatbelt and use your seat cushion as a flotation device. And then, finally, the plane took off.

Carlisle leaned his head against the seat and closed his eyes. He sat like that for a moment and then opened them again, looking around. He was glad that the flight wasn't a crowded one; there was no one in the two seats next to him. He began thinking again, trying to organize the jumble of thoughts in his head. He thought about William. It had been a very long time since he had seen him.

He had met William long ago, when he'd first come to the New World. He had come across him near Salem. William was changed in the early sixteen hundreds, and while he had been very civilized, much like those in Italy, he also did not share Carlisle's diet. Carlisle spent a little time with him, but soon after meeting him left. William had been older when he was changed. He had spent most of his life alone in his little cabin, and preferred it that way.

He'd gone back to see him a few times. The cabin William lived in was very isolated, so he was able to stay there without raising suspicion. Every once in a while he would leave, just in case, but he never had a problem with curious people; he was buried deep in the woods. He hoped that William would not be gone now. He was the only one Carlisle knew of who could tell him the story. He was sure that not even the Volturi knew of this; according to William it had stayed very quiet.

He sighed, thinking of the complications this could present. Their lives were already complicated enough as it was. Edward and Bella had just been married. Soon Bella would be changed. She would have been changed already, had she not decided that she wanted a little more time with her parents. She had told them she would start college next year; of course, that wasn't what would really happen. She would be changed, and Edward would have to keep her away from humans and help her through those first few years as a newborn.

Bella was in Florida now, spending a little time with her mother. She had wanted Edward to go with her, but he'd stayed behind. He thought it would be better if she spent some time with her mother alone; and besides, he would have to find excuses to stay inside everyday in Florida. It wasn't often cloudy there.

They had also been in Forks for a few years now; he knew they would have to leave soon. He was passing himself off for thirty three, and he didn't even look thirty. He really liked Forks; he liked being in a small town, and the weather was, of course, perfect for them. He loved their home, and the hospital he worked in. But he knew they would have to leave. They could come back one day, as they had before, but it would be years away.

Would this girl be one of them? Would she want to stay with them? Would she even want to live their lifestyle? Not many of those changed did; there were only a handful that he knew of. He found himself hoping that she would. She looked so young. He felt like she needed someone to take care of her, people to be with. He knew Esme would be delighted if she chose to stay. She had such maternal instincts.

But how would the others feel? Bella had already joined their family, and it had been just them for so long. How were they going to react? He hoped none would react badly. But he knew that, despite if they did, he still wanted her to stay. He wasn't sure why the feeling was so strong, but it was.

"We will now begin our descent into Logan International. Please make sure all seatbelts are fastened," he heard over the intercom.

He hadn't thought that much time had gone by. He sat motionlessly and waited for the plane to land, having left his seatbelt on for the whole flight. They began descending, and landed, very smoothly. They circled once or twice and finally pulled to the gate. The passengers began rising, going into the overhead compartments to retrieve their things. He rose and made his way to the front of the plane, pretending not to see the stewardess' bright smile as she told him goodbye. He made his way through the airport to the car rental counter. Once he had secured a vehicle he was on his way.

He knew William was not very far; the airport was close to Salem, and William's cabin was near Salem, buried deep in the forest. He paid no attention to the beautiful New England scenery as he sped toward his destination. It took him less than half an hour to reach his desired turnoff. He made his way to the tiny road that would take him out near William's cabin. He drove there for awhile, until the road ended. He parked the vehicle on the side of the road and got out. The rest would have to be done on foot, as the cabin was not accessible by road. He began running and was there in no time at all, surprised that he remembered the way so well. He could tell that the cabin was inhabited; William was not gone. He went to the door and knocked.

The door opened, and a surprised face met him. "Carlisle? Is that you? What are you doing here?"

"Hello, William. It's nice to see you."

William was a small man, much shorter than Carlisle's six foot two. He had been quite old when he was changed; the vampire who attacked him was interrupted and had accidentally left him alive. William looked sort of odd; while his features had a sort of perfection, they were old and withered.

"Come in, come in. It seems I've forgotten my manners. How are you Carlisle? It's been quite a long time."

"Yes it has. I'm doing well. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm just fine, although I'm very surprised to see you. It's a pleasant surprise though," William said, smiling. "And how is your family? Your work?"

"Oh everything is going very well. Everyone is doing fine. Actually, Edward was just married."

"Married! Well, isn't that something! So, he found one of us that he liked, did he?"

"Well, something like that, yes," replied Carlisle, not wanting to go into the whole story of Edward and Bella. "I do have to admit though, there is a specific reason I have come to see you."

"Well, I thought there must be. It's been such a long time since you've been here. What have you come for?" he asked, and waved toward a seat for Carlisle, sitting down himself.

"There was a story you told me long ago, a legend actually, in my mind," Carlisle began, taking a seat. "You told it to me when I first met you. I was wondering if you would mind telling it to me again. Do you remember the story I'm speaking of?"

"I do, although I'm quite confused, Carlisle," William began, and paused. "Why have you come all this way to ask me of the half breeds?"


	4. Chapter 4 Legend

**_Disclaimer - The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

"I've had reason to think of the story recently," replied Carlisle carefully, not wanting to tell William anything just yet, "and I found that I couldn't recall all of the particulars. I was hoping you wouldn't mind telling it to me again."

"Well…of course I wouldn't mind," said William, confusion coloring his voice.

"It began in the late sixteen hundreds, although I'm not quite sure which year it was exactly. There was a small settlement just outside of Malden, which is not far from here; you would have passed it on your way. This was during the time, of course, when witchcraft was said to be rampant, especially in Salem. This settlement outside of Malden was a coven, a very small one. They kept quiet and were never disturbed by the law, as were those in Salem."

"Their coven was unique, though. It was said to be very old, going back to the early fourteen hundreds. Their kind was born with certain powers. These powers were, well, fairly minor. Some were said to be able to move small objects with the mind, others could hear thoughts of certain people, but never anything very substantial. It was different with each of them, and some never even showed any signs of power."

"Of course, that was until they reached the age of eighteen. At that age, something they called an ascension took place. On their eighteenth birthday, at the exact minute of their birth, they would ascend. It was said to be a magnificent occurrence to watch. They were physically overtaken, and some said you could see the power enter into their bodies. And after this happened, they became very powerful. Of course, as it was before, it was different from person to person, but there were some who could control the minds of others, or the weather. There were those who had healing powers. Many of them could then read minds and communicate telepathically."

"The power was said to have been so strong that, upon entering some, it would kill them. Others died in the months leading up to their ascension…supposedly for the three months before the ascension they could become very weak or ill. And of course, there were those who were totally consumed with the power. The coven had long dealt with those who could not control themselves…if anyone became too much of a problem, the coven would kill them, as they had for many years before that. This was why their coven had become so small, you see. They had killed many of their own kind for fear of what they might do with their powers. They had managed to go hundreds of years without being exposed."

"Anyhow, it is in the late sixteen hundreds that the story begins. As I said, the coven was settled near Malden, and at this time there were maybe only twenty or thirty of them left. In the coven was a young woman by the name of Elizabeth Lewis. She had just reached the age of eighteen and had ascended a few months previously. She was said to be one of the most powerful of any the coven had ever seen. Even before she ascended, she possessed great power and much self control."

"There was said to be a vampire who was traveling through the area and came upon the settlement. Little is known of him; only that his first name was John. And that when he laid his eyes upon Elizabeth, he became very taken with her. He approached her; he must have also had great self control. Of course, Elizabeth had never seen any as beautiful as him, and she came to love him very quickly. Her coven did not approve of her being involved with an outsider, but this did not stop her. Eventually, the two were intimate."

William paused. "Now, you must understand, Elizabeth never told John that she was a witch, and John never told her that he was a vampire. Oh, they must have suspected that there was something…off about the other. Maybe they never wanted to know, or maybe they didn't care. No one is sure if this happened because John was perhaps a different kind of vampire, or if it was due to the fact that Elizabeth was a witch, but Elizabeth soon found herself with child. She was very distraught; none of her kind had ever had a child with anyone but another of them, and she was not sure what to expect."

"But before she even had a chance to tell John, he decided it was time to tell her the truth, hoping that she would not send him away. He told her that he was a vampire, and Elizabeth became extremely upset. She told him that she never wanted to see him again, to leave and never come back. And surprisingly, John respected her wishes; it is said that she never saw him again."

"Her and her kind had heard of the existence of vampires, but it was never something that she had believed. She told the coven of the child she was carrying. They were of course upset, but they decided that she would be allowed to keep the child and see what became of it. Some of them thought that John may be lying and that the child would just be half their kind, and half human. Of course, they were essentially human themselves. Their heart beat, they ate and drank, and they could be killed."

"But it was apparent soon after the child was born, that he was not human. The child was a boy, and Elizabeth named him Samuel. The first time Samuel was taken into the sun, his skin glittered like thousands of tiny diamonds. He had no heart beat. Elizabeth attempted to feed him as she would any child, with milk, but he became weaker and weaker. Soon she gave up and began to give him the blood of animals, and his strength was restored."

"The coven was intrigued by Samuel. They had heard of vampires, and had not known what to expect from him. But they watched him age, although they had heard that vampires did not. Even though vampires were said to be crazy with thirst, Samuel never attacked any of them, instead taking the blood they gave him from animals. He was amazingly strong and fast…when he ran he became just a blur. Sadly, Elizabeth became very ill and passed away when the child was only six. She had never been the same after finding out what John was and sending him away. Some said she died of a broken heart, only added to by the fear and weariness she felt for her own child."

William stopped. "You see, Carlisle, this story was told to me by a member of the coven, one of the last, who had also been familiar with our kind. He said that Samuel was absolutely fascinating. Samuel needed blood for strength, but he never craved it, only taking it because the coven told him he needed it. While he was strong and fast, like us, he was not hard as marble, not quite as indestructible as we are. It was much harder to hurt Samuel than it was to hurt a human, but he could be injured; could be killed. His eyes were never black or crimson as ours become, but were the brilliant blue his mother's had been, never changing. His skin was cold, but the man said it was not as cold as mine, as ours."

"Although he was more beautiful than the humans, he did not quite have the ethereal beauty of a pure vampire. And, while humans naturally shy away from us, their subconscious telling them we are dangerous, this was not the case with Samuel. People were naturally drawn to him, to the half breeds. This is how the man explained it. While walking through a crowd of people, many would turn and follow Samuel, without quite knowing why they were doing so. They just had a natural pull to him."

"The coven continued to care for Samuel after his mother passed away. He was a fairly good child. He had the powers that the coven was naturally born with, and they were said to be strong like his mother's were at that age, perhaps even stronger. He was told what he was from a young age, and had many questions, but of course they could not answer them…they did not know what was to become of him. As his eighteenth birthday neared, they became very weary; yes, he continued to age. Many in the coven had died out now, and there were very few left. Those who were still around had no idea what to expect."

"As many of the others had, he became very ill and weak during the three months leading to his eighteenth birthday. And then the day came, and he did in fact ascend. It was the most spectacular ascension those of the coven had ever seen…and when it was over, he was the most powerful of any. Not just because his power was great, but because he was, of course, half vampire."

"He became consumed with his power, but none could kill him, he was much too strong. He stayed with the coven only for a short time, and then made the decision to leave them, much to their relief, although they were very frightened at what he might do. He did not go far, and stories of the things he did made their way back to them. He did not continue on the diet that he had as a child, but began feeding on humans, finding that it made him stronger. It is said that he became curious one day, and, hearing about the pure vampires, decided to merely bite someone and see if they would change; and they did change."

"But here was the fascinating part. Samuel never aged after his eighteenth birthday. He became still in time as we do when first bitten. The first person Samuel bit was over eighteen, and also never aged. Their power was also very limited, nothing like Samuel's. Their transformation was also different than ours They appeared to sleep through it, waking changed, having felt no pain. Their eyes stayed the same as they had been when they were human…they were exactly as Samuel was. Samuel continued to bite others, maybe thinking he could create some sort of army…at this time he was absolutely crazy with power."

"Eventually he bit someone who was under the age of eighteen, and when they reached their eighteenth birthday, sure enough they also ascended. It is believed that those he changed had less control over their power. They became dangerous, but those who saw them said it almost appeared to be against their own will...as if they were being controlled."

"Now, of course, just as it had been in the coven, some of these people did not survive. Those who were changed after the age of eighteen lived. Many of the ones Samuel bit before they reached eighteen died either in the months before their ascension, or during the ascension itself. And it is said that eventually Samuel wanted there to be none like him, and killed all but himself. There was never anything heard of Samuel again, and he was believed to have died also. The coven only went on another fifty or sixty years, and they died out too. There are very few who ever knew anything of the half breeds…as far as I know, I am the only one anyone in the coven ever confided in. And of course, I have confided in you."

Carlisle sat, motionless, trying to absorb it all. His mind was trying to sort everything, trying to figure it all out. "Their transformation," he began slowly, "was it always that way, painless…did they always sleep through it?"

"That is what I was told, that they felt nothing. As soon as the venom was in their system, they slept and did not wake until the transformation was complete," replied William.

"Do you know…how did Samuel bite them? I mean, how did he administer the venom?"

"I'm not sure," he said, giving Carlisle a strange look. "Carlisle, why did you come here? Why are you asking me these things?"

"William," said Carlisle cautiously, "A…friend of mine, he brought a girl to my home yesterday. He said he believed the girl was bitten by a vampire. But she was still, motionless, as if she were sleeping; she had a single bite on her neck. I could smell venom in the wound, although it was faint, and her heart was slowing. She didn't seem to be reacting to the bite at all, but I have no doubt that she was bitten by a vampire."

He watched the incredulous look come upon William's face as he spoke. It was a minute or two before William spoke. "There…there must be….some other explanation. It must be…something else," he stammered.

"I didn't know what to think when I first saw her. And then memories of the story you told me crept into my mind. I can think of no other reason that the girl would react this way to the bite. I've never seen anything like it before."

"The half breeds…they died out. There were none left. It's not possible."

"There is no way to know for sure if they all died," responded Carlisle. "There could have been one, or many, who did not. The coven couldn't know for sure."

"The man who told me the story was quite sure that Samuel had killed them all…he was determined to be the only one of his kind."

"Alright," said Carlisle slowly, "suppose that's true. Then…who killed Samuel? How could they know if he were dead?"

"They were quite sure that if Samuel was still alive, they would have heard something of him…of his attacks, something alerting them to his presence," William said quickly.

"But they still couldn't be sure. William, what if it was Samuel who changed this girl? It is possible. Or someone who he changed? It has been many years since the coven died out. Samuel could have been alive this whole time, perhaps going far from the coven while they were still alive. He could have changed others over the years."

"What did you do with the girl, Carlisle?" he demanded.

"She is still at my home, of course. Why do you ask?"

"Carlisle, I never came across any of the half breeds, for that I am grateful. But the man who told me the story, the coven, they saw many of them. They watched Samuel become the most powerful, most dangerous thing they had ever seen. They were terrified of him, for good reason. They only believed that they were spared from his wrath by some sort of loyalty he felt to them, to those who had raised him. To think he could still be alive…it is in itself terrifying. But this girl…if she is what you think she may be, she is dangerous too. Especially if she has not reached eighteen yet. If she is in fact a half breed, I think…that you may need to kill her."

"Kill her! I'm not going to kill her! It's not her fault, what's happened, what she will become. We don't even know if she will be a danger. I cannot, I will not, just kill her."

"Don't you understand, Carlisle?" replied William angrily, "If she is in fact a half breed, if she does ascend, there will be no stopping her! She will be a danger to humans, to you, to your family! She could kill you all and you wouldn't be able to stop her. If you kill her now, there will never be any danger. If you can kill her before she awakens, there will be nothing to worry about."

"No," stated Carlisle firmly, "I will not just kill this girl. She must be given a chance, if this is really what she is. She is just a girl, and she must have a chance to choose the right way."

"And if she doesn't, what will you do then? How will you stop her, if you let her live now and she does not choose your way? She is not just a girl, Carlisle, she is a potential danger!"

"I don't know what I will do William. But I do know I can't just kill her. I have to try and give her an opportunity, a chance, to make something of this life she will have now, a life that she did not choose."

"Carlisle, my concern is only for you and your family. I do not wish to see you harmed by this girl. Please, think this through. Think of the danger to you and your family, potentially to others," pleaded William.

"I understand your concern, and I appreciate it. We could have it all wrong…maybe this girl is not what I believe her to be. But even if she is, I must give her a chance. I don't expect you to understand, but I know what I must do…what I will do," said Carlisle kindly.

"You're right, Carlisle, I do not understand. But I have always had a great amount of respect for you. I only hope that this does not end badly for you or your family."

"Thank you William, and thank you for sharing the story with me once again. You have been a great help."

Carlisle spent the rest of the day with William, most of which passed in silence, with the occasional short conversation being thrown in. Carlisle called the airline and booked a flight home, and in the early evening said goodbye to William.

"Goodbye Carlisle. Good luck…I wish you the best," he offered as Carlisle was leaving.

"Thank you, same to you. I hope to see you again."

"You're welcome anytime."

"Goodbye William," said Carlisle, and with that he made his way back to the car. He drove the short distance to the airport, turning in his rental car and once again making his way through security to sit and wait for his flight to leave. As he sat, he replayed the story William told him in his head. He was very sure that this girl was indeed a half breed. There was just no other way to explain it. The transformation seemed to be taking place the exact way William had described.

But William was right; this girl could be a very real danger. But she was really only very dangerous, Carlisle thought, if she had not turned eighteen yet. If she was already eighteen, her powers should be very minor. Granted, she would still be more of a danger than a vampire, but not by much. And what if she was no danger at all? What if she wanted their way of life? Then there was nothing to worry about. But none of these questions could be answered until she was awake, and it had only been twenty four hours; she still had about two days to go.

How would Carlisle explain all this to her, when she awoke? If the story was in fact true, she would have been unconscious as soon as the venom entered, meaning she probably had no idea what had happened to her. He'd spoken to the others while they were changing, telling them what was happening to them as it happened. But she would be fully changed when she woke up. And she would not be like the rest of them.

And how would the others take this? They would all probably take it very differently. Esme would of course want to take care of her, as she always did. Emmett would probably think she was fascinating. Jasper would most likely be indifferent, as he usually was. Alice may have already seen something of her, but he didn't think she would mind very much. Rosalie would probably not be very happy, but she rarely was. He didn't think Edward would like it very much, but more out of fear for Bella, not himself. And how did he feel?

He would be lying to himself if he said there was no danger. But he would not kill her. She deserved a chance. And he had a feeling that she would want to stay, to be like them; that she would choose not to be dangerous.

Just then the plane began boarding. Carlisle went and boarded, taking his seat and leaning against the back, closing his eyes. He wanted to just stop thinking. He had so much on his mind. He knew the hardest part was coming. He would have to explain everything to his family, and then to the girl, when she woke. He didn't want to think about it anymore right now, so he just sat there, trying to clear his mind. He sat like that the entire flight, opening his eyes only when they landed.

He made his way through the airport to the parking area, getting in his car and beginning the trip home. He did not speed this time. He didn't mind taking his time now; he did not think the girl would be awake for awhile, and he knew Edward would be there waiting for him, and an explanation; maybe the others too.

But he couldn't make the trip long enough, and he soon found himself pulling into the drive in front of the house. It didn't surprise him to find Edward standing there, waiting for him.

"Hello, Edward,"

"Carlisle," Edward said, with a slight edge to his voice.

"Have the others come home?"

"No, they're still gone. Are you ready to tell me what's going on yet?" he asked coldly.

"Yes," Carlisle sighed, "I'm ready to tell you."


	5. Chapter 5 The Discussion

**_Disclaimer - The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

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"Carlisle," began Edward, "are you sure that you're doing the right thing?"

Carlisle hadn't had to explain things to Edward; he had only needed to open his mind to him. In the time it had taken him to go upstairs and check on the girl, Edward knew everything.

"What do you mean?"

"This girl, she could very well be a danger. You know that. Do you really want to keep her here?"

"What would you have me do Edward? Kill her? You know me better than that."

"I'm not saying she needs to be killed. Only that maybe it isn't the best idea for her to stay with us. I don't want to see our family hurt…I know you don't either."

"We don't even know if she will be a danger. We don't know anything yet. And if not here, where? Where can she go? As far as we know, there are none like her. She can't just go home…wherever that may be. She will need someone, people…a family. I feel she would be more likely to become a danger if sent out on her own, with no one to guide her."

"But your friend is right. What if she doesn't choose our way? What if she does become a danger?" he pointed out. "We will have no way of stopping her. If she is what you think, she will be stronger than us all."

"Who's to say she will ever be a danger to us? Even if she doesn't choose our way of life, who's to say she won't just go on her way, leave us? I don't see a reason for her to become a danger to us." Carlisle paused. "What I do see is a young girl with a struggle ahead. We all knew what we were becoming. There were others like us. But she has no one. Even I can only help her to a certain extent. I don't know what will happen to her, what she will be like or become. But she shouldn't have to do it alone. You already know my decision, Edward. I will let her stay for as long as she wishes."

"I know your decision is already made. I just hope you're making the right one."

"We'll know more when the girl wakes up. Her age, of course, will determine much. I would also very much like to know what happened, how she was attacked. The fact that she only has the one mark makes me think that perhaps she was meant to be changed, not killed."

"I would have to agree. If she were meant to be killed I would expect her to have sustained much more injury, even if the attack was interrupted," Edward mused.

"Are you positive you didn't see anything else in Jacob's mind? Were you able to see anything of the attacker?"

"The only memory I saw of him he was crouched over the girl facing away. I could see nothing."

"I think I need to speak to Jacob. Surely he saw more. There must be some information he will be able to give us. But for now, we will wait for the girl to wake up. The others will be back soon, and they will need to be told," Carlisle said firmly.

"Bella also comes back today. I'll need to leave soon to pick her up from the airport. I think I'll wait and let her hear the news with everyone else. I'm sure you will explain it better anyhow. I'm actually surprised the others didn't return early. I would have thought Alice would see something and come immediately."

"I was thinking the same thing," replied Carlisle. "Maybe she hasn't seen anything because Jacob was involved."

"Maybe…or perhaps she can't see the girl, either," said Edward thoughtfully.

"Yes, I suppose that's possible."

"So, if her transformation takes as long as the others, she should wake up sometime tomorrow night."

"Yes, that's if it takes as long. You know, we could be wrong about this whole thing. She could very well be just a normal vampire, reacting differently."

"But you don't really believe that."

"No, I don't," Carlisle sighed.

"Do you really think she'll be that different from us? Aside from the obvious, I mean?"

"Yes, I do. If the stories are true, at least. Imagine not having the craving for blood, not feeling the need to drink. She will be like us, she will need blood as we do…but she will never feel the need, the frenzy, to attack. How could that not make her different? Is that not what makes us inhuman, aside from the physical of course?"

"You don't feel a need to attack though. You work near blood all day, and never lose control," Edward pointed out.

"Yes, but that was something I had to develop over many years. She will never have to do that. However, I'm sure it will also have its problems."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you had never felt the desire, the need to attack, would you have fed? It most likely would have disgusted you even more if you had to feed without the drive to do so. She _will_ weaken if she doesn't feed. That may present a problem."

"I suppose."

They were both silent for a moment.

"Well, I need to leave now to pick up Bella. If the others arrive before us, please wait to explain."

"I will. Goodbye."

Carlisle began pacing the downstairs after Edward left, constructing what he was going to say to the others in his mind. He wanted to be sure to explain it to them the right way, to get across to them that he really didn't feel this girl would be a danger to them. Even if she didn't want their lifestyle, he was sure she would just go on her way and leave them be. But he knew he wanted her to stay. He had an overwhelming desire for it, without really knowing why. He knew she was going to have a hard time, and was sure it would only be made harder if she were alone.

His thoughts were interrupted by Alice shooting through the door. "Hey Carlisle!" she exclaimed as she bounded across the room and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hello Alice," he replied, smiling. "Where are the others?"

"Oh, they're behind me, losing the race," she said with a huge grin.

"If I had really tried Alice, you would have lost," Emmett grumbled as he walked in the door.

"You always 'really' try Emmett. Besides, I already saw myself winning. You didn't have a chance."

"Whatever. Hey Carlisle."

"Hello."

Emmett was followed closely by Rosalie, smoothing out her hair and mumbling about dumb races. Jasper walked in, and then Esme, who walked to Carlisle's side and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"How was your hunting trip?"

"It went well," replied Esme. "Emmett had fun with the bears," she said playfully.

"Always." Emmett gave him a big grin.

"Alice? You didn't happen to…see anything this weekend, did you?"

"No. Well, nothing really out of the ordinary. Why?"

"I was just curious."

"Carlisle?" asked Jasper.

"Yes Jasper?" He knew what was coming.

"What's wrong? Why are you so…tense?"

He'd known Jasper would be able to sense it upon walking into the room. "Well, actually there is something I need to tell you all. But if you don't mind, we're going to need to wait for Edward and Bella to return. He's gone to the airport to pick her up."

"Oooh, I forgot Bella was coming home today!" exclaimed Alice excitedly.

Carlisle looked at Esme, who gave him a concerned frown. He shook his head slightly and gave her a small smile.

"Well, that's fine, we can all go get cleaned up," Esme said, and began walking upstairs.

"Actually, Esme, would you mind staying down here with me?" asked Carlisle hurriedly, not wanting her to find the girl in their room.

She looked at him for a second before replying. "Sure," she said, and came back down to sit on the couch, watching him the whole time.

The others all made their way upstairs to clean up, each coming back down one by one to sit on the couch and watch Carlisle pace the room. They all began to get worried looks on their faces, especially Jasper, who could sense Carlisle's feelings of unease. Soon after they were all sitting together, Edward and Bella walked through the door.

"Bella!" Alice shouted, and danced across the room to give her a hug.

"Oh, Alice! I'm so happy to see you!" Bella said excitedly as she hugged her back.

Each of them said their hellos, Esme rising to kiss Bella on the cheek. They all sat back down, with Edward and Bella making their way to the end of the couch, Bella's hand grasped firmly in Edward's, a hard look on his face. She looked at Edward, concerned, and then turned to Carlisle.

"Well," began Carlisle, looking around at all of them, "as you all know, I have something to tell you. Edward, of course, already knows. We had a sort of…incident…this weekend."

They all began speaking at once; all but Edward, of course, and Bella. Carlisle held up his hand. "Please, just let me finish. Jacob came, and…"

"Jacob was here?" demanded Bella, her voice full of surprise.

"Yes, he was. Please, let me continue."

She turned to give Edward a hard stare, then turned back to Carlisle.

"Jacob came, the night before last. He showed up on the doorstep, carrying a girl…she was unconscious. He didn't tell us anything…he only asked that we not let her die. Edward was able to grasp from his thoughts that he believed she had been bitten by a vampire."

He heard Esme let out a small gasp, while the others just looked at him warily.

"I looked over the girl, and she did indeed have a bite mark, just one, on her neck. Other than that she was unharmed," he explained. "But there was something strange. The girl seemed to be asleep. It appeared she was not in any pain at all. We of course found this strange. But she had definitely been bitten. I could smell the venom in the wound. And then I remembered a story a friend told me long ago, of transformations like this. I actually went to see him, in Massachusetts, right after I thought of it. I arrived home this morning."

He paused, looking around at all of them. "If what we believe is true, this girl is a…different kind of vampire. A half breed, is what they called it."

"A half breed? What the hell is that?" demanded Emmett.

"There is a story, in the late 1600's, of a girl, who was a…witch. She was…intimate with a vampire, and somehow this produced a child. That child was half vampire half witch," said Carlisle, looking around at their astonished faces.

Nobody spoke for a few seconds. "Sorry Carlisle, but that kind of sounds like a buncha crap," snickered Emmett, finally breaking the silence.

"Let him finish, Emmett!" exclaimed Alice, turning her attention back to Carlisle.

"This child aged until he reached eighteen, when he did what the coven called ascending. You see, they were born with a small amount of powers, but at this ascension their power became much greater. After this he stopped aging and left the coven. He had been fed animal blood until then, but soon started attacking humans. He changed many, to see if they would become like him, which they did. Then he killed them all because he wanted to be the only of his kind. The coven believed him to be dead after awhile also, and then soon the coven died out."

"He was like a normal vampire in some ways. His skin glittered in the sun…he had great strength and speed. He had no heartbeat, but somehow aged until eighteen, and then stopped. He was more beautiful than other humans, but not as beautiful as pure vampires. But in many ways he was different. His eyes were blue, like his mother's. Although it was harder for him to be injured, he could be hurt. Instead of somehow fearing him, humans were very naturally drawn to him. And, although he needed blood to keep his strength up, he never craved it. As a child he had to be told he needed it, but he never had a physical want for it."

"And you believe," began Esme slowly, "that this girl is one of those…a half breed?"

"Yes, I do."

"Carlisle, it does sound a little…farfetched," Esme said, eyeing him carefully.

"A little!" sputtered Emmett.

"It's possible I could be wrong, but I don't think I am. I have no other way to explain this girl's reaction. It appears that she has been sleeping. Her heart is slowing, had almost stopped completely, last time I checked. She is showing no signs of pain, but I have no doubt she is changing."

"Who is this friend you talked to?" demanded Rosalie.

"His name is William…I met him long ago, when I first came to the New World. He heard this story from a man who was in the coven, who had seen these things himself. I have no reason not to believe him."

"But he very well could have been lied to," said Esme gently.

"That's true, he could have, but the transformation he described is the same as I'm seeing in this girl. He was told they slept, appearing to be in no pain, and just awoke changed."

"But didn't he say that they had all died?" asked Jasper.

"William said the man who told him the story said they were quite sure that Samuel…the boy…had killed all but himself. But they only assumed Samuel was dead because they never heard anything of him again. They couldn't know for sure."

"Carlisle," began Alice, "I'm not really seeing why this would be a problem. So, this girl is going to change. She's going to be…a little different from us. But what's the problem?"

"Well…she does have the potential to be…dangerous. If she is not yet eighteen, she will age until then and still ascend, as did others Samuel changed. She will be very powerful. If she were to choose to, she could be very dangerous."

He hurried on. "But, I don't really feel that's going to be a problem. I want to make the offer for her to stay with us, but if she chooses not to, I really think she will just go on her way and leave us be. She will be strong though…physically strong, and with powers we do not have."

"Does she appear to be young?" asked Esme.

"I believe she is. She looks no older than eighteen to me."

"Well, of course we will ask her to stay. She will need support, people to help her," said Esme firmly, smiling at Carlisle.

"I'm glad you feel that way," Carlisle replied, smiling back and squeezing her hand. "I know you all may not feel the same. I understand if you may be worried, or anxious. But I do feel like this is the best thing. This girl is going to wake up changed and knowing nothing. She will need someone to guide her, and that is what I plan to do."

"I still don't believe it, but whatever. Could be cool if it's true," said Emmett.

"I don't know. I don't think I like it," Rosalie said, frowning.

"That's why you asked me if I saw something this weekend," said Alice thoughtfully. "But I didn't see anything!"

"Maybe it's just because Jacob was involved," Jasper said, taking her hand.

"Yeah, but I didn't see her at the house or anything! I should have seen something!" she exclaimed, frowning.

"Why did Jacob bring her here anyway?" Emmett asked. "If he knew she got bit, why didn't he just kill her?"

"I don't know, but that's a good question, one I plan on asking Jacob next time I have a chance," replied Carlisle.

Bella and Edward had remained silent, Bella wincing when Jacob's name was spoken. Edward's face remained hard.

"So now what?" asked Alice.

"Now we wait for her to wake up. She is upstairs in my room. We won't know anything until then. I'm going to go up and sit with her, so I'll be there when she wakes. I would prefer if none of you were there. When she wakes I'll need to explain many things to her, I'm sure, and then I will bring her to…meet you all."

"That sounds best," said Esme.

"As far as I'm aware, her transformation takes the same amount of time. If that's true, she shouldn't wake until sometime tomorrow night. I'll be there until then. I'll come let you know when something happens." He kissed Esme on the cheek, then made his way upstairs.

The girl lay still on the couch, unmoved from the last time he saw her. He pulled a chair over, sitting and reaching to feel her pulse. It was just barely there; soon it would be stopped completely. He sat back and waited for her to wake.

It had been hours, he wasn't sure how many. He'd been sitting next to her, head back, eyes closed. He leaned forward and opened his eyes.

Her frightened emerald eyes stared back.


	6. Chapter 6 Calli

**_Disclaimer - The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- This chapter was the hardest to write so far. I wanted it to be perfect, so I edited it about a million times. I hope you enjoy, and thanks so much for the reviews!**

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She scrambled to the edge of the couch furthest from Carlisle, looking at him with wide, anxious eyes. "Who are you? And where the hell am I?" she demanded in a panicked voice

"Let's begin slowly. My name is Carlisle. Can you tell me your name?"

"It's…it's Calli," she stammered, continuing to stare at him wide eyed. "What's going on?"

"It's nice to meet you Calli. Now, I have many things I need to explain to you. But first, there are just a few questions I'm going to need to ask you. Now this first one may seem a little strange, but it is very important. Can you please tell me…have you turned eighteen yet?" he asked, staring at her intently.

Calli opened her mouth to ask again what was going on when she heard it.

"Lie," said the voice smoothly. She looked around the room ,searching for the source of the voice, but finding no one.

"Calli? Calli, are you listening? I need you to tell me, please, have you already reached the age of eighteen? It's important."

"Lie to him," the voice once again commanded her. She finally realized it was in her own head.

She turned her eyes back to him, debating for a moment. "Um, yes, I'm already eighteen."

Carlisle sighed in relief. "Ok, thank you. Now, can you tell me, what is the last thing you remember?"

She took a deep, shaky breath. "No," she said firmly. "First you can tell me who you are and what I'm doing here."

"As I said, my name is Carlisle. A…friend of mine brought you to me. You were attacked. Do you remember?"

Calli closed her eyes as soon as he said the word 'attacked', automatically trying to recall her last memory. She remembered driving on the highway, to the small place she picked out on the map. She remembered hiking through the rainy forest. She remembered coming to a clearing and stopping there for awhile…

Then all at once she remembered the man. She remembered turning around and seeing him standing there, a smile on his face. He had looked confident, had been beautiful. And he had lunged at her, so quickly she had barely seen it. And then she remembered nothing.

"Yes," she whispered, shivering. "I remember."

"Please," heprompted, "tell me exactly what you can remember."

She studied him for a minute before speaking. "I was hiking through the forest. I came to a spot and decided to stop. I remember being there for awhile, and then I turned around and saw him. He was smiling, and then, I guess…he attacked me. I remember him jumping at me, but that's it. I don't know why though. He didn't even say anything."

"Do you remember what the man looked like?"

"Ummm, he was kind of tall…like maybe six feet. He looked pretty…strong. He had blue eyes, I remember they were really bright. And blonde hair. Did I even get hurt?" She started inspecting herself. "I feel ok."

"Well, that is…part of what I need to explain. Now this is going to sound strange. What I'm going to tell you, you're probably not going to believe. But I assure you, it's all true."

"Okay," Calli replied slowly. The guy seemed friendly so far, and he'd helped her. She pushed the fact that he looked as startlingly beautiful as the man who had attacked her to the back of her mind and listened.

"Well," Carlisle began, "the friend who brought you to me, he brought you here because I am not really an ordinary…person. And the man that bit you, he was not either." He paused, shaking his head and smiling. "There's really no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to get it out and over with. I'm a vampire Calli. The man who bit you, he is a vampire too."

Her jaw actually dropped, before a laugh escaped her lips. "A vampire? Really?" she scoffed hysterically. "So then, I guess, if he bit me, then I'm supposed to turn into a vampire too, right? That's how the stories go," she said, laughing again. "Is this supposed to be some kind of joke? Cause I gotta be honest…it's kind of lame."

"Actually Calli, you have already turned. You've been unconscious for the past two days. And now…yes, you are a vampire," he went on, feeling foolish. He had never had to try and explain it this way before. Of course she didn't believe him; why should she?

"Ok, seriously, what's going on? Has it really been two days? Because I really feel fine. I look fine. And I think, if you're done with your fun little story, that maybe I ought to be going. I do appreciate you helping me though…or whatever you did," she rambled on, starting to stand. Now she was starting to get a bit nervous.

"Wait…please, Calli, sit back down." She looked at him through narrow eyes, before lowering back down slowly. "Like I said before, I realize this is all a little hard to believe. Please, just do me a favor. Feel your wrist, your throat…try and find your pulse."

"Are you serious?"

Carlisle nodded.

"Ok," she rolled her eyes, "I'll play along." She put her fingers to her right wrist, feeling for the pulse. The smile lessened a bit as she moved them around, trying to locate it. She moved to her left wrist, feeling for it once again. She put her fingers to her throat, checking on both sides. She looked up at him, a strange, startled look on her face. "That's… a good trick," she mumbled, sounding uncertain.

"Wait here a minute," Carlisle said, moving to the closet to retrieve his bag. He pulled out a stethoscope and put it to his chest, handing her the earpieces. "Here, check for mine."

She reached out hesitantly for them, putting them on her ears and looking at him. He moved the piece around his chest, watching her brow furrow as she heard nothing. "Here, take it, check for your own," he said, holding it out to her.

She grabbed for it, pressing it to her own chest, listening intently. Her wide eyes looked up and met his. "This has to be…some kind of trick…a joke. How are you doing this?!" she demanded, panicked, her voice rising with each word.

"I'm not doing anything. What I've told you is true," said Carlisle gently, trying to calm her. "There aren't very many of us…vampires, I mean. But it's real…we're real. I'm sorry that this had to happen to you this way. I can't really imagine how you must be feeling right now, waking up and hearing all of this."

Calli was breathing deeply, trying to get control of herself. "I don't know who you are, and I don't know what you're trying to do, but this story…it's ridiculous. You actually expect me to believe that I'm supposed to be a vampire?"

"Yes…because you are one," he replied softly. "I've been watching you for the last two days. You were bitten on the neck. I smelled the venom in your wound. Your heart has been slowing…now it has stopped completely."

He paused briefly. "You must feel different. You've been asleep for two days straight. Are you hungry? Do you need to use the restroom? You don't, I know you don't. Hold your breath…you don't actually need to breathe, it won't hurt."

She sat unmoving, eyes wide, not responding. Then she took in a deep breath and held it, looking at Carlisle expectantly. A minute went by. Then five; and finally ten. She began breathing again, shaking her head. "This is insane! There has to be…some other explanation! This is some kind of joke right? You're joking, it's a joke. Is there a hidden camera in here somewhere." She inspected the room halfheartedly

"No Calli," Carlisle said gently, "it's really not a joke. Is there even anything funny about it? What I'm telling you is the truth. You just held your breath for almost ten minutes…how could I play a joke like that?"

"So, some guy who is a vampire bit me, and I'm a vampire now? I'm, like…dead then, right?" she asked, shaking her head, her voice trembling so hard she barely got the words out.

"Yes, in a sense. Rather, you're no longer human."

"Are you…sure about this?" she asked anxiously; but a resigned look had already overcome her.

"Yes Calli," he responded quietly, "I'm quite sure."

"What's gonna happen to me?" she asked warily. She couldn't wrap her head around this; it was too huge. It was too unbelievable. But she couldn't deny what she was seeing.

"Well, the changes have already taken place…you've become a vampire. And my family and I, we would like you to…stay with us, if you wish. We would really rather you didn't try to do this alone. It will be hard, but we would like to help you." He smiled encouragingly

"This can't be happening. It's not…it can't be.

"It is Calli," he responded gently, "As hard as it may be to believe, it is. And there's…more I need to tell you."

"More!" she exclaimed. "What do you mean more? What _more _could there be? You just told me I'm a vampire!"

"Calli, the man who bit you, he's not like me, like my family. He's a different kind of vampire…"

"There are kinds?"

"Well, sort of." He told her the story William had related to him.

She stared at him incredulously for a long time after he was finished. "Ok, so let me try and get this straight. Now you're trying to tell me I'm a vampire…and a witch. Come on now…am I a werewolf too?" she mocked, shaking her head.

"Well, no you're not. But the person who brought you to me, Jacob…he is a werewolf," Carlisle said, smiling.

"Really?" she asked sarcastically, brow raising. "A werewolf?"

He nodded.

"This has…got to be…the craziest thing ever. This…I don't even know…how is this possible?" she muttered, more to herself than him.

"I know it's all very strange. I have to be honest with you Calli…no one thought any of your kind existed anymore. They were all believed to be dead. The only thing I can think of is that Samuel, the original half breed, has been changing people over the years, or…he actually changed you himself."

"Why am I not dead? If this guy was a…vampire," she shook her head as she said the word. "Shouldn't he have just…sucked my blood or something?"

He smiled. "If he had meant to drain you, we think you would have sustained more injury. We believe he bit you with the idea of changing you. But we have no idea why."

"This is so…not…possible," Calli breathed out. "I have to…wake up soon…or something."

"Calli, I'm not going to pretend this is going to be easy for you. This is a huge shock. Our family, we are similar to you, but you are very unique, very different. Aside from dealing with all of this, there are many other changes. You…," he hesitated sadly. "You won't be able to go home, to be with your family. You won't be able to see them ever again, your friends either."

He paused here, looking for some kind of reaction, but getting none. Her face clouded over, became impassive. "Wait a minute, I almost forgot…are you from Forks?"

"Forks? No. No, I'm from Seattle. I drove up here for the day," she answered quietly.

"Alone?"

"Yeah, I'm alone."

"Well, that makes things a bit easier, although Seattle is still close. For you to stay with us, you see, we have to forge an identity for you. If you were from Forks, you wouldn't be able to stay. But as I said, Seattle is still close. When you're reported missing, they may look for you here," he mused thoughtfully.

"That won't be a problem," Calli replied quickly.

"What do you mean?"

"I live alone. No one's gonna report me missing."

"Have you already graduated from school?"

"No, I'm a senior."

"But surely you must have family. Someone who is going to be looking for you."

"Trust me, no one will. It's not going to be a problem. You could just send someone to my school pretending to be my mom to withdraw me…they'll never know the difference," she continued indifferently.

"You're sure, there's no one that's going to notice you're gone? There must be someone. Where is your family?" Carlisle asked firmly.

"Doesn't matter. Believe me, no one will notice. I really don't even have too many friends. I just keep to myself," she muttered, looking away.

"Alright," Carlisle said in a disbelieving tone, "I guess that might make things…easier. I'm sure Esme could go and withdraw you. We would enter you into school here, of course, so you can finish the year. But that can all be dealt with later."

"Esme?"

"My wife. Besides her, there are six others in our family. Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper, and Edward and Bella. They are all also married."

"And all of them are…vampires too?"

"Yes. Oh, well, no. Bella is a human."

"Wait wait wait, hold on a second. She's a human…married to a vampire. And she knows?" she asked, shocked.

"Yes, they were just married. Bella plans to become…one of us, very soon."

"Huh," said Calli, frowning thoughtfully. She looked deep in thought for a minute. "Well, what about Jacob? I mean, he saved me…kind of, right? I mean, I guess…saved…whatever. Is he actually a werewolf? Or was that a joke?"

"No, he really is. He belongs to a pack of werewolves on the Quileute reservation, La Push."

She nodded again. "Well, that makes sense. As much sense as anything here. I was on that reservation, in the forest there."

"We are actually very surprised that Jacob brought you to us. This is another, well, long story, but the werewolves…they are meant to kill vampires. My family has a sort of treaty with them, so they leave us be. But we're not sure why, if Jacob knew you had been bitten, he didn't just kill you. We thought perhaps you two might have known each other?"

Calli shivered. "Well that's kind of…terrifying. No, I don't know him."

"What were you doing there in the forest alone anyhow?"

"I go hiking all the time by myself," she shot, immediately on the defensive. "I must have missed the 'beware of vampires' warning," she muttered.

"I know that you've been given a lot to deal with today, Calli. There's much more I'm sure I will need to explain, but for now, I think maybe we ought to wait. Unless you have any questions, of course."

"No, I don't think…" she trailed off. "Oh, whoa, whoa…wait a minute!" she shouted suddenly. "Do I have to…you know…drink blood? Cause that is seriously disgusting," she said, wrinkling her nose, her body shaking.

"Remember, in the story I told you of Samuel, how he never craved blood, but they gave it to him?"

She nodded.

"You will be the same way. You will not have an actual craving for it, but yes, you do need it to keep up your strength. Many vampires drink human blood. My family and I drink animal blood, and, well, if you're going to remain with us, we would expect you to do the same," he said, watching the look of disgust form.

"That is actually something that will make you very different. We…pure vampires, I mean, are extremely dangerous our first few years. The desire to feed then is greater than at any other time, and even those who wish to refrain from drinking human blood find it very difficult. But you will not be that way. It will make this much easier."

"Ugh, so gross," she complained. "So, will I die if I don't drink it?"

"Well, we don't, we simply become very weak. I believe it will be the same for you. But you will still need to drink, Calli. I know it will be hard, but we're going to help you," he said gently.

"Uh huh," she muttered.

"The rest of my family, they have been waiting for me to let them know when you wake up. I'm going to go down and speak to them…then I'm sure they will want to meet you. Do you think you're ready for that?"

"To meet a roomful of vampires, sure why not," she muttered, looking away from him at the wall.

"I'll come up when I'm finished, alright?"

"Uh huh."

Carlisle went downstairs, finding the entire family seated in the living room, watching the stairs expectantly

"Well, that was certainly an interesting conversation. Do you know how she's taking this, Edward?" Carlisle asked as he crossed the room.

"No, I don't. I can't hear her mind at all," he replied, an edge to his voice.

"Alice, anything?"

"No, nothing," Alice pouted.

"Well, that's something," Carlisle said thoughtfully.

"How do you believe she took it?" asked Esme.

"Well, of course she didn't believe me at first." He sighed. "But she held her breath for ten minutes. I think that did the job. And of course she can't find her heartbeat. She seems resigned to it now, though. To be honest, she's taking it…much better than I expected. She seems much…calmer than I would have expected."

"I'm sure she's just in a state of shock right now. Give it time to set in, and there's sure to be a different reaction. She has just lost all her family, her friends. It's bound to be upsetting when it hits her," said Esme gently.

"That's the thing. She says she has no family, or many friends. She claims to live on her own, and that there will be no one to become suspicious or report her missing. It seems very strange to me. Although, if true, it will no doubt make things easier."

"Does she have, like, witchy powers?" Emmett snickered. Rosalie hit him in the arm.

"I don't know Emmett, that wasn't my prime concern. But she is definitely not like us. Her eyes are green, not red…she's not crazy with thirst, she feels nothing like that at all. She is a half breed, of that I'm sure. And she is ready to meet you all, if you're ready of course."

"I believe we are," Esme said, looking around. No one objected, although none looked too happy.

"I'll be right back." Carlisle disappeared up the stiars. He came back down a moment later, Calli standing beside him warily, looking like she might be cringing into him if that wasn't so frightening to her too.

"Everyone, this is Calli."


	7. Chapter 7 The Family

**_Disclaimer - The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- This chapter has been the most fun to write so far. I am finally bringing out my beloved character Calli, who has been running around my head since I had a dream after reading Eclipse. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.**

**And, if it's not obvious already, this story does have strong ties to the movie 'The Covenant'...I actually saw that movie the night before I read Eclipse, and I guess it had a lot of influence on my dream.**

* * *

"Calli?"

She turned from the window and looked at Carlisle, feeling numb. _Ok, still not awake. This _has_ to be a dream_, she thought.

"The others would like to meet you now, if you're ready," he said gently.

She nodded weakly and followed him slowly out the door, through the hallway and down the stairs. She stuck close to Carlisle's side. Although she felt wary of him and was very uncomfortable at the closeness, she was much more afraid of what she would find downstairs. They reached the bottom and she just stood there, eyes on the floor.

"Everyone," began Carlisle, "this is Calli."

Calli looked up at all the faces staring at her, trying to avoid any eye contact, holding back a flinch. _They're all so…unreal. Which fits, I guess._

"Calli, this is my wife Esme." Carlisle motioned to the woman standing closest to them.

Calli looked at her, giving her a small smile. _She looks like a PTA mom. _Esme was a small woman, although still taller than Calli, and unbelievably, indescribably beautiful, just as Carlisle was. She had soft brown hair and a sweet, welcoming face, her features perfect and flawless. She smiled at Calli, but kept her distance.

"We are so happy to meet you dear," she said, smiling.

"Thank you, it's nice to meet you too," Calli responded quietly.

"This is Alice," Carlisle continued, motioning to the girl closest to Esme. She was tiny, even smaller than Calli was, both in height and size, with short spiky black hair, and pale just as the others. She was bouncing slightly, and gave Calli a big, bright grin.

"Hi," she almost sang in a high, soprano, beautiful voice.

"Hi," said Calli, smiling at her, unable to resist her infectious enthusiasm. _She looks…hyper_.

"And Jasper," Carlisle motioned to the man next to Alice. He was tall, with blonde hair the color of honey and a strong, square face, excruciatingly beautiful as well. He looked giant next to tiny Alice, who was shorter than Calli's five foot one. He only gave her a slight nod.

"This is Emmett and Rosalie," Carlisle went on, motioning toward the couple to Jasper's right.

Emmett was huge, like a body builder, and taller than everyone else. He had dark curly hair and a chiseled face. He looked massive and terrifying, except for the big smile he wore. Rosalie was, by far, the most beautiful girl Calli had ever laid eyes on. She had long, wispy blonde hair, and the figure of a supermodel. She also looked like she knew this and very much enjoyed it._ Can you say snob_.

"Hey Calli," Emmett greeted, smirking. Rosalie said nothing, only stared at her with an unreadable expression.

"And this is Edward and Bella," Carlisle motioned toward the last couple in the room.

Edward looked younger, more boyish than the others, but definitely strong. He had a strange color to his hair, like the shade of a penny, but darker. He also looked very hostile; he had a hard look about his face and angled himself in front of the girl at his side.

Bella. Finally there was someone in the room who didn't look unbelievably perfect, someone whose beauty didn't make you want to cry; someone much more similar to her. She was still very pretty, with long brown hair and wide brown eyes. She was taller than Calli, but more slender. She was pale too, almost as pale as all the others, but she looked so much different.

_Human. She looks different cause she's the only one that's human. This can't be real_.Bella was looking at Calli strangely, a mixture of curiosity and sadness and, strangely enough, what Calli thought might be anger.

Neither of them said anything to Calli, and she looked away from them quickly, surveying the big, wide room. _So much white._ Everything looked spotless, perfect; the way all of them looked. She looked at Carlisle, who was staring intently at Edward. Her gaze turned to Edward in time to see him shake his head slightly.

"Calli, do you remember how I told you that most vampires drink human blood?" Carlisle asked.

Calli cringed at that. "Yes," she replied quietly.

"Is there anyone in this room you want to attack right now?"

She practically jumped back, aghast. "What? Attack? What do you mean, _attack_?" she practically yelled, her voice high and anxious.

"Well, Edward doesn't seem to believe that you are very different from normal vampires. He is afraid you are going to attack Bella," Carlisle replied, looking at Edward pointedly.

Edward just glared at Carlisle.

"You think I want to eat your wife?" Calli choked out, not even thinking before she spoke.

Emmett tried, unsuccessfully, to restrain his laughter.

"Calli, would you please walk over to Bella?" Carlisle asked, motioning in Bella's direction.

Bella's eyes got wide. Edward looked at Calli and let out a growl so terrifying that it sent her cringing back toward the stairs. _I am not going near that guy_.

"Edward!" Carlisle said sternly. "Please, you need to trust me, and you need to see this. Bella, please don't be frightened. Now, Calli, walk to Bella."

Calli looked at Edward's face. The sneer had lessened slightly, and his body wasn't so rigid anymore. Bella still had a terrified look in her eyes. _No way_. She didn't move.

"Go ahead Calli. It's alright," Carlisle prodded gently, motioning toward Bella once again.

Calli looked at him one more time, then began to walk forward slowly, watching Edward the whole time. He held Bella to his side, glaring menacingly at Calli. _He looks like he's gonna kill me_. She inched her way toward them, stopping about two feet in front of Bella.

"I want you to get closer Calli, and then I want you to lean forward and smell Bella's neck," said Carlisle calmly.

_What?!_

A small growl escaped Edward's lips, and Calli took a few hurried steps back.

"Smell her neck? Are you insane? No. Uh uh," Calli sputtered, looking at Carlisle like he'd grown a second head.

"Calli, please, just trust me. Go ahead. Don't be afraid, Bella. Please let her do it," he encouraged.

Calli looked forward once again, at Edward's angry expression, at Bella's scared eyes. She looked back to Carlisle, who nodded his head. And she began to move forward slowly, hesitantly, until she was only inches from Bella. Bella stood still as a statue, now looking at Edward with wide, panicked eyes. _Ok guy, don't kill me_. She leaned up, careful not to touch her, and sniffed Bella's neck. She heard Edward's low growl.

She quickly backed away from Bella toward Carlisle. "There," she grumbled. "Wanna explain why I just did that?"

Carlisle was silent for a moment. Calli looked around at everyone, at their astonished expressions staring back. Even Edward looked taken aback.

"What did you smell Calli?" asked Carlisle.

"What did I smell? I don't know…it kind of smelled like strawberries. I could smell that already though." And suddenly she put two and two together. "Oh, gross! Were you making me smell…hey, wait. Is it supposed to smell like strawberries?"

Carlisle had to wait until Emmett's roaring laughter died down before he could speak. Even most of the others in the room were chuckling. "No, it's not. I was proving a point." He looked at Edward again. "She can't smell blood."

He turned to her. "Calli, if you were a normal vampire, if you were like us, you would be able to smell Bella's blood, and it would be making you crazy. You would attack her on the spot. All you would feel is the urge to feed on her. But you don't, do you? You don't feel anything."

"No! Actually, wait, I do feel pretty dumb for going up and sniffing some girl's neck. But I don't want to…feed on her. Or whatever."

"She won't attack her Edward," Carlisle said softly. "Please, relax. You're probably scaring her to death."

_Oh, no, some vampire just looks like he's gonna kill me cause he thinks I want to eat his wife. I'm not scared._

Edward looked at Calli, his face relaxing slightly, and loosened his hold on Bella. Bella glanced at Calli but looked away again quickly.

"Wait a second," said Calli. "So you guys are all normal vampires. You're telling me you all can smell Bella's blood and you want to eat her?" she asked, a perplexed look on her face.

"Well, yes, we can all smell Bella's blood. But we have been…practicing for a very long time. We drink animal's blood only. But it takes a great deal of control for us to feed on animals alone. For you, it will not be so difficult. You can feed on animals, and you will never even have the urge to feed on humans," Carlisle said, smiling.

_Ugh_.

"That's crazy," said Emmett, looking amazed. "I've never seen anything like that. I can't believe she doesn't smell the blood at all!"

"It is pretty amazing," Alice said.

_They're amazed by _me_. Yeah, ok_.

"I know everything seems strange right now Calli, but this is really going to make things much easier for you. All things considered. Now if you don't mind, I would like to try another…experiment."

_What am I, a lab rat? _"What is it?" she asked warily.

"Well, why don't we all take a seat first," Carlisle motioned to the couches.

He sat, followed by Esme. Alice and Jasper sat next to them, with Emmett and Rosalie following. Edward gave Calli one more look and then pulled Bella over and down beside him.

"It's alright Calli, come and sit next to me," Carlisle said. Calli made her way to the couch and sat as far from Carlisle as the limited space would allow.

"Now this may sound strange, but please bear with me," Carlisle began.

_Like this could get any stranger_.

"Do you see those computers over there?" he pointed

Calli nodded.

"There's a book near that far one. Do you see it?" he continued.

"Yeah, I see it."

"Calli, I want you to try to move that book. With…your mind."

Emmett snickered, trying to cover it with a cough.

_Gimme a break_. "Huh? This is nuts. Look, I did the whole heartbeat thing, I did the neck thing…but I am not about to do this magic spells, voodoo, potion thing…no thank you," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Calli, I haven't lied to you up to this point, have I?" Carlisle asked.

"I guess not," she conceded, looking away. _He _hadn't lied. But she had.

"Well, I would like to see if this is true also. I'm sure you would too. Please, just go along with it."

"Where's my black hat and broomstick?" she muttered sarcastically.

Emmett and Alice snickered, while Esme, Rosalie, and Jasper all gave small smiles. Edward and Bella still looked grave.

"She's pretty funny," Emmett said with a big grin.

"Ok, how am I supposed to do this?" Calli asked.

"Well…I'm not quite sure. I've never done anything like this before. I would assume you maybe…tell the object, or ask it, to move. Or maybe just think about it moving, maybe envision it coming to your hand…something like that," Carlisle replied, sounding unsure.

_Yeah, ok_. "Ask it to come to me? It's not a dog."

"Just…think about it. Imagine it happening. It might not work, but it could…possibly," Carlisle said. "Go ahead, concentrate on it."

Calli looked over at the book. _Ok concentrate on the book. This is so dumb_. She narrowed her eyes. _Who am I, Sabrina? _She stared at the book intently. _Umm, come here…please. Book, come here_. She sat, staring at the book, not moving. Finally, she looked at Carlisle. "It's not working…I asked it nicely and everything."

"Please keep trying," Carlisle encouraged gently.

Calli rolled her eyes and turned them back to the book. She stared at it. _Ok book, move_. She narrowed her eyes again, and imagined the book in her hands.

"What the…?!" The book flew through the air, coming at Calli full speed. She put her hands in front of her, turning her head, waiting for it to hit, bracing herself for the pain. It never did. She turned her head back slowly.

The book was about a foot from her face, paused in midair. Calli felt her jaw drop, and the book clattered to the ground. She stared at the spot the book had just fallen from, unmoving. The room was completely silent.

"Holy crap!" Emmett finally yelled.

"Wow," Alice breathed, shaking her head.

Bella's eyes were wide, staring at Calli. Edward looked incredulous, while Rosalie's mouth still hung wide open. Carlisle was looking at Esme, their surprised faces mirroring each other.

"That was awesome! Do it again!" Emmett yelled.

_I'm gonna pass out_, Callie thought, blinking quickly. She turned and put her head between her knees, like she used to do when she still got nervous before a performance.

"Calli?" Carlisle asked nervously. "What's wrong? Does something hurt? Are you ok?"

_It worked…it actually worked_.

"No duh it 'actually worked'!" shouted Calli, lifting her head and looking at Carlisle. "Unless you always have books flying around your damn house!"

Carlisle's head snapped back, his eyes widening.

"Oh my…" said Edward, staring wide eyed at Calli.

_I didn't say that out loud_.

"Of course you said it out…" Calli began, and then stopped. She had just heard Carlisle speak. She had heard him distinctly say 'I didn't say that out loud'. She knew she'd heard him say it. But she had been looking at him the whole time.

And his lips had never moved.


	8. Chapter 8 Mind Over Matter

**_Disclaimer - The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Calli stared at Carlisle, shocked and scared and amazed all at once. She knew his lips hadn't moved. _But I heard it, I know I did!_

But his lips hadn't moved. She looked around at everyone, saw their confused faces as they tried to discern what was happening. Only Edward and Carlisle didn't look confused; they were both staring at her, eyes wide, mouths slightly open. And then all of the voices assaulted her at once.

_She's reading my mind…_

_She read his mind…_

_What in the world…_

_What's goin' on…_

_Something's wrong…_

Calli stood quickly, covering her ears and stumbling away from the couch. She screamed, bending over and clutching her hands more tightly against her head. "What's happening, what's…" Several objects in the room flew into the air, crashing loudly into the walls.

_What the hell…_

_She can hear them all…_

_Is she hurt…_

_I don't understand…_

_What did she just do…_

"Stop!" Calli shouted at the top of her lungs, shaking her head from side to side and clutching her hands even tighter.

And they stopped.

Calli stopped moving. She stood upright shakily, opening her eyes and slowly removing her hands from her ears. She heard nothing. She looked at everyone in front of her, their frightened, astonished, confused faces. She glared at Carlisle.

"What just happened to me?" she shouted at him, panic in her voice. "What is this? What's happening?"

"I believe," Carlisle said slowly "that you just read my mind."

"Not possible!" she spat furiously. A vase rose and crashed into the wall.

"Calli!" Carlisle said firmly. "You have to calm yourself down!"

She closed her eyes, furrowing her brow and taking a deep breath. Every nerve inside of her felt on fire. She shook her arms out at her sides, hoping it would help calm her.

"No Carlisle," Edward said, "Calli just read everyone's mind. Who did you hear speaking?" Edward asked, addressing her for the first time all night.

"Speaking? There was no speaking! There was shouting, a lot of shouting."

"You heard everyone's voices, didn't you? That's why you were clutching your head," he went on.

"I don't know, I just heard…all this noise! I don't know who it was."

"Calli, you did read my mind," Carlisle said gently. "I did not speak out loud when I said it actually worked, but you heard that, didn't you?"

Calli didn't respond for a moment. "Yes," she finally said quietly. Carlisle stared at her intently. "What?" she asked, annoyed.

"Can't you hear me now?" Carlisle asked, puzzled.

"No, thankfully."

Carlisle looked at Edward for a moment; Edward shook his head.

"Are you guys doing some kind of Morse code or something? Why do you keep shaking your head at him?" she demanded, looking at Edward.

"Calli, Edward can also read minds," Carlisle explained.

"I…what? But you said the rest of them weren't like me," she said angrily.

"They're not like you Calli."

"They?" she questioned fiercely.

"There are a few of us…vampires, I mean, who have certain gifts. Edward can read minds. Alice sees things that may happen in the future. And Jasper can help to control…emotions. He can calm people when they are upset, things like that. But they are not like you."

_This is too much. _"I need to sit," Calli groaned, going back to her spot on the couch and sinking down. She closed her eyes and put her head in her hands.

"You can't hear any of our thoughts right now?" Carlisle asked her.

"No, I don't hear anything anymore," she said warily. She lifted her head. "And if you can hear everyone's thoughts," she said, directing herself towards Edward, "how come you didn't know that I wasn't going to attack Bella…couldn't you hear me thinking?"

"No," retorted Edward harshly.

"None of their powers work on you Calli. We're not sure why." He turned to Edward. "Do you have any idea why this might be happening?"

"I don't. It took some time for me to get control over it. I doubt she has that kind of control right now." Edward replied, looking at Calli.

"She said stop," said Rosalie, her voice even more beautiful than Calli would have expected. _I shouldn't be surprised by anything anymore_. _I go hiking and my life turns into a bad horror flick._

"What?" asked Carlisle. Everyone looked at her.

"When she was there, clutching her head, she screamed stop…and then she looked fine," Rosalie said firmly.

"She's right, Carlisle," Edward said.

"Could it just stop like that?" Carlisle mused. "Calli, look at me, try to see if you can make yourself read my mind again.

"Uh uh, no way!! I am not doing that again. Are you crazy? My head will probably explode!" Bella's bag on the floor by the front door began shaking.

"Calm down Calli! Just focus on me…see if you can hear only me. Please try," Carlisle pleaded.

Calli looked at him through narrowed eyes, staring for a full minute, and then heaved a sigh. She turned her body toward him and stared into his eyes.

"Now try the same thing you tried with the book, just focus on trying to read my mind…only mine, ok?"

"Uh huh," said Calli unenthusiastically. She stared into his eyes and concentrated. _Uh, open? Can you open a mind?_ She closed her eyes and thought of reading his mind again.

_Tell me when you can hear me Calli._

_I can hear you. _Calli heard movement and opened her eyes. Carlisle had moved back, his eyes once again wide.

Edward jumped up. "What just happened?" Carlisle looked over at him, the startled look still on his face. "I heard her voice in your mind! You heard her thoughts!"

"What? What are you talking about?" asked Calli, looking back and forth between the two of them, confused.

Carlisle looked at her, attempting to compose his face. "I was thinking 'tell me when you can hear me', and you answered, but you never spoke aloud. You said it in your mind, and I heard it in mine."

_I can't do this._

_Calli, I can still hear you. I think you have to…turn it off somehow._

_How am I supposed to do that?_

_Like you did everything else…tell it to stop._

Calli closed her eyes for a moment. She opened them and looked at Carlisle. "Now?" she asked him warily.

"No, I can't hear you anymore," he replied gently.

Calli looked around at the shocked faces all staring at her uncertainly. _They look like they're scared I'm going to bite. Ha…that's funny…bite._

"Carlisle, what's going on?" Esme asked shakily.

"Did she make you read minds too?" asked Alice.

"Can we, like, get her powers…cause that would be pretty cool," said Emmett.

"No, that's not what happened. Calli, I believe you're communicating telepathically. And you heard my response, of course, because you could read my mind."

"I think I'm gonna pass out," Calli said warily. _I wonder if vampires can faint._

"But why can't she hear our thoughts?" Alice asked.

"She can, if she focuses on you," Carlisle responded. "Calli, focus on Alice, tell her what she's thinking," Carlisle said.

"Aww, come on!" Calli complained. She looked at Carlisle pleadingly for a moment before turning to Alice. It came much easier this time. "I don't even know what language that is," Calli told her, looking away annoyed. _Stop._ And just like that she couldn't hear whatever foreign language Alice was speaking anymore.

"Wow," Alice breathed. "This is…amazing."

_You wouldn't think so if it were you._

"This is…unbelievable," said Esme softly.

"It's fascinating," said Jasper, speaking for the first time all night.

"Fascinating? No it's not fascinating, it's freaky, that's what it is! This is not the way things are…" Calli cut off, exasperated, breathing deeply, trying to calm herself. _I really shouldn't break any more of their stuff._

"Things are not going to be the way they are supposed to anymore Calli," Carlisle said gently. "You are not the same anymore. You are very, very different now."

"I don't want to be different! I just want to…not be different, and go back to normal, and be…left alone!" Calli shouted, her voice breaking.

"I know," said Carlisle quietly.

No one spoke for a few minutes. They all sat, occasionally glancing at Calli. She looked up and caught Bella's eye. They stared at each other for a minute. Edward looked up at Bella, following her eyes to Calli.

"Are you…reading Bella's mind?" Edward asked incredulously.

"No. She was staring at me first," she said defensively.

"Calli, Edward can't read Bella's mind, we're not sure as to why that is either. Can you read her mind?"

"I don't know, I wasn't trying to read her mind…I don't even want to."

"Try," Edward said softly. Bella gave him a hard look and turned away.

Calli stared at Bella, getting nothing. She kept looking at her for another minute. "I can't hear anything," she said, and looked away, though not before seeing the relief in Bella's face.

"This is seriously crazy…even for a bunch of vampires," Emmett muttered.

"I have to admit, I didn't believe everything in that story. But what has happened tonight…it's unbelievable. Your…powers are much greater than I would have ever expected. I'm sure you're probably a little sick of all this. Maybe you ought to go upstairs and be alone for awhile. If you want to, of course."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Calli rsighed quietly. She stood and began making her way toward the stairs.

"You can use mine and Esme's room for the time being. Is there anything that you need?"

"Yeah, a shower, I'm filthy. Maybe some clothes too, these ones are in pretty bad shape," she replied, looking down at her disheveled appearance. "Vampires take showers, right?" she asked uncertainly.

"Yes," Carlisle replied, chuckling, "we take showers. I'm sorry…I really should have let you do that earlier. You can borrow some of Esme's clothes for now."

"You can use my bathroom," volunteered Alice brightly, "I have all the stuff you'll need in there."

"That's an understatement," Emmett muttered under his breath.

"Alright Alice, take her upstairs and show her around. Calli, you can stay up there as long as you need, ok?"

"Yeah, thanks," she mumbled. "Should I just sleep on that couch again?"

"What? Can she sleep?" demanded Rosalie.

"What? I'm not allowed to sleep?" she asked incredulously.

"No, it's not that. We're actually not able to sleep," Carlisle explained. "I guess I'm not sure if you'll be able to or not. You can try, though."

"Yeah, ok, whatever. I'll see you guys later." She heaved a sigh and followed Alice up the stairs. Alice led her through the hall into a bathroom. Calli looked around in wonder. _There are apartments smaller than this thing!_

Alice caught her look and laughed. "It is a pretty big bathroom…I like lots of space," she said with a big smile. "You can use anything you'd like, I'm sure there won't be anything you need that you can't find in here. Towels are there," she said, pointing to the left, "and I'll leave some clothes outside the door for you."

"Thanks a lot," Calli said quietly, avoiding eye contact.

Alice began making her way out. "Calli," she said, and stopped to turn to her. "I'm…really sorry for what happened to you. But I'm glad you're with us," Alice said, giving her a bright smile.

"Oh…thanks Alice. I guess…I'm glad to be here too. Kind of. Well, I'm glad you guys are, like…good vampires," Calli said, rolling her eyes and sighing at her inability to get the words out right.

"It's ok," Alice laughed, "I know what you mean. I'll see you later." And with that she walked out, closing the door behind her.

Calli looked around the massive room. _This has got to be about two times the size of the room I rent. So sad. _She began peeking into cabinets and drawers. She found every kind of styling tool, hair accessory, make up, and product she could ever even imagine. _It's like a drugstore…they must be, like, millionaires. How do vampires become millionaires? _

She took out all the things she would be using and set them on the long counter, lining them up perfectly. She then walked to the massive shower and peeked in, making sure the things she would need were in there. She turned the water on and walked to the cabinet Alice said the towels were in, taking one out and setting it near the shower. She then began to strip off her grimy clothes, wrinkling her nose as she realized she'd been in them for days.

She stepped into the shower, closing her eyes and letting the water fall down her face. Showers were her favorite part of the day. She would turn the water on as hot as she could manage and just stand there, letting it relax her muscles until the water went cold. It was something she always looked forward to.

But this shower was so much different than any she'd ever had. It wasn't relaxing, although she couldn't say her body felt particularly tense before she'd gotten in, which was a surprise. She couldn't feel her muscles loosening like they usually did. She could, however, feel each individual drop hitting her skin. They felt separate and distinct. She was sure she could have counted each of them if she had wanted to. It almost felt as if it were happening in slow motion. It was a little disconcerting.

She hurried through the shower, not bothering to take her time. When she was finished she reached out for the towel and wrapped the massive thing around herself. She walked slowly to the door, listening for sounds but hearing none. She opened it carefully and looked down, seeing the clothes Alice promised her. She grabbed them and shut the door as quickly as possible.

She walked back toward the counter, finished toweling off and put the clothes on. The pants were of course much too long, but that was no surprise; she was so short, most pants were long on her. _Alice is even shorter than I am. _She looked down at the clothes she was wearing and wrinkled her nose. _I look like a schoolteacher_, she thought, longing for her jeans with the strategically placed holes and her layered shirts.

She began toweling off her hair, moving to where she'd laid out all the things she would need, and looked in the mirror for the first time since she'd been there.

She gasped out loud and did a double take, putting her face closer to the mirror and staring intently. She blinked a few times, and just stood there for a moment. She slowly moved her face away from the mirror, never taking her eyes from her own reflection.

She'd never been ugly. Most people thought she was pretty. She had nice features. She had always been in good shape due to all her dancing. But the person she saw in the mirror, this person was not just ok; this person was not just pretty. _Perfect._ The person she was looking at was perfect. The features were perfectly flawless; there was nothing someone could dislike. The red flush that usually covered her face was absent, leaving only a lovely pale complexion. Her nose, which she had always felt was a little too long, looked perfect. She felt like she was looking at a magazine cover, not her own reflection.

_This can't be me. _She had never really been upset by the way she looked, but she of course critiqued herself when looking in the mirror. But now, there was nothing to critique. She couldn't find any error in the face staring back at her. She stared for another few minutes, finally shaking her head and picking up a comb to brush out her short hair.

She proceeded to blow dry it, still seeing that surprised look on her face every time she caught her reflection. She finished and put everything away, hanging her towel and opening the door again carefully, looking out but seeing no one. She made her way down the hall and back to Carlisle's room, shutting the door behind her and leaning against it. She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.

_What am I going to do? _She had pretty much figured out by now that this was no dream. This was happening, it was real. _I'm a…vampire. And a witch. Kind of. _She wanted to laugh at herself, it sounded so ridiculous. But she couldn't deny what had happened today. She couldn't deny the way she felt. Something was definitely different. _Uh, yeah, I have no heartbeat. _

She paced the room, trying to organize it all in her mind. She pictured everything that had happened today. She remembered hearing all the thoughts, remembered the objects crashing into the wall, and shuddered. She went through each thing that was different, each thing she could see and smell and hear differently. She had never been one for crazy stories, tall tales. She had never believed in ghosts or goblins or…monsters. _That's what vampires are, right? Monsters?_

She thought of Carlisle, of the kind, caring way he had spoken to her. _No, he's not a monster._ She sat on the floor and began to stretch out, trying to take her mind off of everything. But she couldn't feel it. She could feel that she was moving, but the burn she usually felt was absent. She stretched further, harder, but nothing happened. _Damnit_, she thought, standing back up and resuming her pacing.

She thought about living with this family, of being one of them. She couldn't imagine it. She had always been independent. She didn't really know how to be with other people very well. There were a few people she talked to every once in awhile at school. Or rather, they talked to her and she responded. But people usually caught on to her unease pretty quickly and left her alone. She stayed out of trouble, stayed out of their way, and people generally stayed away from her. But she had a feeling that wasn't the way it would be here. They were all a family. And she didn't know how to do that. Or even if she wanted to.

She made her way to the couch and laid down, covering her eyes with her arm. She tried to clear her mind and relax. _I better be able to sleep_. She lay there, breathing evenly, trying her hardest not to think about any of it anymore, to just relax her body and fall into a slumber.

She wasn't sure how long it had been when she finally moved her arm and sat up on the couch, but she thought it must have been hours. She stood and let out a long sigh, not knowing whether she just couldn't sleep now, or ever again. She walked to the door, opened it, and made her way to the stairs.


	9. Chapter 9 Small Talk

"**You have to admit," said Emmett, "that was pretty cool. She made things fly across the room!"**

"**That's not really enough to make you excited to wake up and find out you're a vampire, Emmett," Alice emphasized.**

_**Excited? Yeah, sure, **_**thought Calli.**

"**I would be excited if I could make stuff fly around the room," Emmett mumbled under his breath.**

"**Yes, but you're already a vampire," Alice said. "It's got to be pretty scary, all of this happening to her so quickly, and all at once."**

"**Scary for her, what about us?" exclaimed Rosalie. "Look at the things she can do! Personally, I think Carlisle should make her leave. We don't need someone else here anyway."**

_**Super snob Barbie doesn't like me, what a shocker.**_

"**What did you expect him to do, Rose? Tell her she's a vampire and then send her on her way?" Alice asked, annoyed.**

"**Carlisle will not ask her to leave," Edward said flatly.**

"**Why does she have to stay here anyway," Rosalie muttered.**

"**Because Carlisle cares!" Alice retorted, an edge to her voice.**

"**Whatever," said Rosalie coolly, "I still don't think it's a good idea."**

"**I wonder what else she can do," Emmett said thoughtfully.**

"**Who cares!" Rosalie exclaimed.**

"**Just wondering," he mumbled.**

"**I'm just glad she's already eighteen," Edward said.**

_**Huh?**_

"**Yes, I suppose that's a good thing," mused Alice.**

_**I'm not…oh, wait, I told him I was. Why is that a good thing?**_

"**You know, she could be reading all of our minds right now," pointed out Rosalie.**

_**Yeah, cause your head is really where I want to be.**_

"**I don't think she will," Edward said quietly. "You all may think it's some great gift, but it's really not. She has the ability to turn it on and off. I would be willing to bet she wants it off."**

_**Got that right.**_

"**What I really want to know," Emmett began, "is why…"**

"**Don't Emmett," Edward ordered.**

"**What?" asked Alice.**

"**Nothing," Emmett mumbled.**

"**Well, I like her. I'm glad she's going to stay," Alice said.**

"**You just want someone else to shop with," Emmett teased.**

"**Good, she can go shopping with you Alice," Bella muttered.**

_**Shopping?**_

"**Maybe you guys should try to make her feel more welcome, too. You don't even really have a reason to dislike her," Alice said.**

"**Hmmph," Rosalie mumbled.**

_**I don't need you to like me, princess.**_

"**Hey, I like her," Emmett said defensively. "Kind of," he amended.**

"**Alice is right you guys," Jasper said quietly. "She's already going to have a hard enough time as it is. She should at least feel comfortable here."**

"**Exactly," she said, "so try and be nice. Ok?"**

_**Ok, enough of the eavesdropping.**_

**Calli walked down the hallway to the stairs, hoping they would hear her approaching.**

"**Hey Calli," Alice greeted her brightly.**

"**Hello," Calli replied quietly as she walked down the stairs.**

"**How did you…I mean…ummm…did you sleep?" Alice asked.**

"**No, I couldn't fall asleep."**

"**Oh," Alice said. She looked around at everyone expectantly. There was only silence.**

_**Well, this isn't uncomfortable at all.**_

"**So, uh, what kind of things do you like?" Emmett asked uncomfortably. "You know, hobbies and stuff."**

**Calli was quiet for a minute. "Uh, well, I like to read. And sing. I like to run. Oh, and I'm a dancer," she said.**

"**Huh?" Emmett exclaimed, looking floored.**

**It took Calli a moment to understand. "No! It's not, like, a pole type of situation," she said quickly. "I'm on a dance team."**

"**Oh…yeah…I knew that," Emmett sputtered.**

**Alice choked back a laugh.**

"**So what high school do you go to in Seattle?" Edward asked.**

"**Ballard," she replied.**

"**Isn't that in the Central District?" he asked quizzically.**

"**Yeah, it is," Calli said quietly.**

"**Oh." **

"**So are you, like, a ballet dancer or something?" Emmett asked.**

"**Not really. Mostly just modern stuff."**

"**Oh." **

**No one spoke for a few minutes, almost everyone hanging their head down or looking away.**

"**Oh, Calli, you're back…good," Carlisle entered the room with Esme..**

"**How do you feel?" Esme asked gently.**

_**How do I feel? **_**"Uh, I feel ok, I guess. How am I supposed to feel?" **

"**Well, I'm not sure. But ok is good," Esme replied, smiling.**

"**Were you able to sleep?" Carlisle asked.**

"**No, I couldn't."**

"**Well, that's not much of a surprise," he said. "You may still be able to, but I doubt it."**

"**Yeah," Calli mumbled quietly, looking down.**

"**Well Calli, there is something we should really discuss," Carlisle began, sitting down, Esme taking her place at his side.**

_**Oh, great, more? **_**"What's that?" Calli asked warily.**

"**Well, it's Tuesday…you have already missed two days of school. We need to go ahead and get you placed in school here. We want to draw as little attention as possible, so we don't want you to miss many days."**

"**Oh, uh…ok."**

"**Now, I know you said that moving you will not be a problem but…are you sure? There must be someone who is going to notice you're gone."**

"**As long as I get withdrawn from school, I'm sure it'll be fine. I can just quit my job, and I don't think my landlady will care if I leave without notice," she said, looking away from Carlisle.**

"**Calli," he began hesitantly, "where is your family?"**

"**Can you please just drop it?" she snapped, glaring. "Look," she went on, softening her tone, "can't you just believe me when I say it's not going to be a problem, and leave it at that…please?" She looked Carlisle straight in the eye, her expression pleading.**

**Carlisle didn't answer for a minute. "Alright," he sighed, giving up. "You are eighteen…I guess there's not much they could do anyway."**

_**Crap. Why did I lie**_**?**

"**But we will need to get some information from you. We will have to get Esme identification if she's going to be able to withdraw you from school. I'm assuming that you do have a parent who lives in Seattle?"**

"**Yeah, my mom."**

**He picked up a pen and paper. "What's her name…her full name, please?"**

"**Mary Beth Whinehouse."**

"**How do you…"**

"**W-H-I-N-E-H-O-U-S-E," Calli interrupted, already anticipating the question.**

"**Her date of birth?" **

"**December 21st****, 1970."**

"**Do you have an address?" **

"**9600 9****th**** Ave NW apartment 3B, the zip is 98117," she said quickly.**

"**The school doesn't know what your mother looks like?"**

"**No, they've never seen her," Calli said quietly.**

"**Calli, are you sure…"**

"**I'm sure. Trust me," she interrupted.**

"**Alright," he sighed again. "Esme is going to drive down there tomorrow and withdraw you, and we'll get you registered here. We are going to tell everyone you're Esme's niece. We should be able to get all the paperwork done today."**

"**I need to go and get my stuff. I can go with her."**

"**No. I don't want you to go back to Seattle. You can give her your address, and we'll send someone with her who can help get your things," he said firmly.**

"**Why can't I just go?" Calli demanded.**

"**I don't want anyone there to see you. You do look different Calli. I would rather that we don't raise any kind of suspicion."**

"**Don't you think it will look more suspicious if some random people just go and take all my stuff out of my apartment? Besides, I need to quit my job. People will probably just be more suspicious if I don't give some kind of explanation."**

"**She does have a point Carlisle," Esme agreed. **

**Carlisle was silent for a minute. "I suppose so. Alright, you can go Calli. But give as little explanation as possible." **

"**Yeah, sure."**

"**Ok, well, we can take care of that then. There is a room upstairs that you can use. We'll get some things in there for you as soon as possible."**

"**Great," she mumbled.**

"**Now, if the rest of you don't mind, I need to speak with Calli alone for a little while," Carlisle said, looking around the room. Everyone seemed to stand up simultaneously and head out. "Calli…I'm not sure why you don't want to discuss your family situation with me. I will accept it though…for now. I am hoping that you'll discuss it with me in the future."**

_**Yeah right. **_**"Ok," Calli replied, her face impassive.**

"**Now, as for what happened this morning. I'm sure it scared you a little. It probably scared us all. But you most of all, of course," he said compassionately.**

_**There's an understatement**_**, she thought. She just looked at Carlisle for a moment, not saying anything. He cared about her; she could see it in his eyes. But why? He didn't know her, he certainly didn't owe her anything; yet here he was trying to take care of her. She wasn't used to that. A better question was, why did she feel such a strong connection with him already? She felt like she had known him forever; like she wanted to be here with him and his family. Was that really what she wanted? **

"**But this is going to be a part of you now," Carlisle went on. "As you saw this morning, you are…powerful. And you also don't have control of that power."**

"**Huh?" Calli asked.**

"**Were you trying to break everything in the living room?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.**

"**Oh, that. No. Sorry," she replied quietly, looking down.**

"**It's nothing to apologize for. Obviously it's very new to you. But it is something you will need to get under control."**

"**What do you mean, get under control?" Calli asked hesitantly.**

"**Calli…you are going to have to practice."**

"**What do you mean practice?" she asked incredulously. "No way! I'm never doing that again!"**

"**You're going to have to, Calli. We can't have things flying around every time you get angry. You are going to have to control it, and the only way you will be able to do that is by practicing, getting a hold on it."**

"**I don't want to!" Calli complained. She could hear that she sounded like a whiny child, but for the moment she didn't care.**

"**I know you don't…but you will have to. I know this isn't going to be easy for you. It's not going to be fun either. But, as hard as it is to believe, you will get used to it. You didn't choose this, but you can make the best of it. And you will…we will help you."**

"**Can I ask you a question?" she asked after a few moments of silence.**

"**Of course." **

"**Why are you doing this?"**

"**I'm sorry?" he asked, looking confused.**

"**Why are you doing this? Why are you taking me in, bringing me to live with your family? Why do you care?" she questioned him, looking him directly in the eye.**

"**Because you need someone to help you, to guide you. I care about you. And I want you to be a part of my family."**

"**But you don't even know me."**

"**I will. And I do know that you need someone…a family. Besides, we have a long time to get to know each other," he said with a small smile.**

"**Ha! Yeah, I guess we do," Calli said, laughing.**

"**Is there anything else you would like to ask me?" **

"**Only about a billion things. Let's start with the basics. Will I burst into flames if I go in the sun?" she asked seriously.**

**Carlisle laughed. "No, you won't. But your skin will shine, like diamonds. The sun won't hurt you, but you cannot let humans see you in sunlight."**

"**Shouldn't be a problem here," she muttered, looking out the window at the rain. "Garlic, holy water, crosses, what do they do to me?"**

"**Absolutely nothing, all untrue," he replied with a smile.**

"**Can I get killed with a wooden stake?" **

"**Well, there are very few ways we can die...it is very hard to kill us. When I say 'us' I mean pure vampires. To be honest, I'm not sure what can kill you. In the story William told me he said the half breeds were harder to kill than a human, but not as hard to kill as a vampire. I'm really not sure what that could mean."**

"**Huh," Calli said thoughtfully. "But a werewolf could kill me. That's what they do right…kill vampires?"**

"**Yes. That's what they do, but they will not kill you…or try, for that matter. We have a treaty with them, as long as we stay off of the reservation and don't bite anyone, they leave us alone."**

"**So I can't go on that reservation then?" **

"**No, you can't."**

**Calli was quiet for a minute.**

"**Anything else?" asked Carlisle.**

"**That Jacob guy, he's your friend right?" **

"**I wouldn't exactly use that term. But we're acquainted, yes," he said slowly.**

"**Could I…meet him? I'd like to talk to him." **

"**Well, I'm not sure when the next time I see him may be…he lives on the reservation, of course. But if I see him I can ask."**

"**Ok, good. I think maybe that's all for now."**

"**Calli, there is…one more thing," Carlisle began hesitantly.**

"**What's that?" **

"**I am going to have to teach you how to…hunt soon. Very soon."**

"**Awww! Gross, no way…"**

"**I know you don't like it, but you will have to feed, it's not an option. You will become very weak if you don't. It's going to be difficult for you, more difficult than it was for any of us because we had that want, that need, to feed. You don't feel that. Regardless, you will have to do it anyway," he responded firmly.**

"**Can't I just…buy blood or something?" Calli muttered.**

**Carlisle smiled at that. "Do you know many places that sell blood?"**

"**This is crap. I will actually have to kill stuff?" She swallowed hard, wincing. **

"**Yes, you will, but that can wait. You won't become weak for a little while. The time will come, however, and you are going to have to learn."**

"**Fabulous," she mumbled.**

"**But for now, I need to get to work. I've already missed quite a few days," he said, standing.**

"**You work? Where do you work?" **

"**I work at the hospital. I'm a doctor."**

"**A doctor?" she repeated incredulously. "At a hospital? You mean the place where people bleed and get blood and…bleed more…" she trailed off, stunned.**

"**Yes," Carlisle chuckled," the hospital. It took me many years, but I have become fairly immune to the scent of blood."**

"**Were you a doctor before you died…or whatever?" **

"**No."**

"**Then why would you want to become a doctor if you were a vampire?" **

"**Because," Carlisle responded with a smile, "I enjoy helping people." And with that he walked out of the room.**


	10. Chapter 10 Proposition

**_Disclaimer - The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Jacob paced back and forth in front of the hospital doors. Every few minutes he would walk in, then just turn around and walk back out again. _People must think I'm insane, _he thought to himself.

_What am I doing here?_He'd kept himself from coming here for a few days, but today his feet would not let him stay away.

The last couple days had been awful. After he brought the girl to the Cullen's he'd gone home, knowing Billy would send someone out to look for him if he was gone much longer. When he walked in Billy was waiting for him, looking like he wanted to talk. Jacob had walked into the kitchen without saying a word, looking for food; he didn't really feel like eating, but he knew he needed to.

Billy let him eat in silence. However, once Jacob tried to go to his room, Billy spoke up. "Come here, Jacob."

"Look, I'm really tired, I just want to get some sleep."

"Sleep can wait."

Jacob sighed and walked into the room. "What?"

"Jacob, this has got to stop. You're just…a shell. You don't do anything, you don't talk to anyone. This is not healthy," Billy began.

"Yeah, I'm aware of that dad," he said edgily.

"You can't keep going like this. You have to get over it. Bella has made her choice. It's hard, I know, but you need to get past it."

"Yeah, I know that too," he said impatiently, wishing he could make it clear to his dad that Bella was not his main concern at the moment.

"Then why aren't you doing anything about it?" Billy practically shouted.

"Doing? What do you want me to do, huh? Go ahead, tell me!" Jacob shouted back.

"I don't know, but you need to do something!" Billy yelled.

"Well, when you figure it out, let me know!" Jacob retorted loudly and walked quickly to his room, slamming the door behind him.

They hadn't spoken since, barely looking at each other when they happened to be in the same room together. He felt horrible, but what was he going to do? He wasn't going to tell Billy, that was for sure. So he kept quiet. And he thought about the girl. He thought about her every moment. He dreamt about her when he slept. He could barely make himself eat; all he thought of, all he cared about, was her. It was driving him nuts. He didn't even think it was possible to think of someone this much. Even Bella, his constant obsession; thoughts of her had at least given him some reprieve. He could go a minute, or two, or ten without thinking about her.

But not this girl. She consumed him like nothing ever had. She had gone from some girl in the woods, to his imprint, to his life; his every thought. The pull he felt to her was extraordinary. It hurt; it made him want to go to her so bad he was in physical pain.

Sam came to his house on Sunday, no doubt called by Billy. "Jacob, why don't you come walk with me," he offered, though there was no room for a refusal in his tone, opening the door and looking expectantly at him.

Jacob sighed, then got up off the couch and followed him. They walked in silence for a bit, making their way down to the beach.

"Billy's really worried about you, you know," Sam had begun.

"I know," he said dully.

"You need to do something Jacob, anything. Talk to someone, talk to me or one of the other guys. You have to stop doing this to yourself," Sam said quietly.

"Look Sam, I appreciate this, really, but you don't understand."

"Then talk to me. Make me understand," he pleaded.

"No Sam. This is…more complicated than you think. I just gotta deal with it myself," he said sullenly.

"You've been doing it by yourself for months now. I gotta tell you, I don't think its working. I know that I don't understand how you feel, that I don't understand everything with Bella, but at least let me try to help."

_And if I told you it wasn't Bella at all_, he thought. "Stop talking about Bella. I don't want to hear about it anymore," he snapped. "Please just…let me do this by myself," Jacob replied, turning and walking back in the direction of the house.

"Jacob."

He turned back. "What?" he sighed.

Sam paused for a moment. "I need you to patrol tomorrow, with Jared, ten o'clock."

Jacob stood there, silent. Finally he responded. "No Sam. Not right now. Just give me some time," he said quietly and walked away.

He had stayed in his room the rest of the day, afraid if he went outside he would just go to her. Monday he went to school, wishing he didn't have to be there. He couldn't remember a word of anything said in his classes. He barely remembered going. But he remembered her. Her face, her smile; the way she moved. He remembered how peaceful she had looked walking through the forest. But he also remembered her lying on the ground with a gash in her neck. That part always made him wince, no matter how many times he pictured it.

He envisioned going to her when he imprinted. He would walk to her, and she would just look at him and smile. She wouldn't have been bitten. And he wouldn't feel this horrible, all consuming guilt. It ate away at him; he hated himself for it. And he hated her too. Yes, he knew without a shadow of a doubt he loved her. He didn't know her; he didn't know her name or where she was from, or anything about her; but he knew he loved her. And he hated her for being there then, for being his imprint. He hated that she had gotten bitten. And he hated that it was his fault.

After school on Monday he went home, once again locking himself in his room. He sat on the bed, his head in his hands, just picturing her over and over and over. The voice in his head cried out continuously, telling him to go to her. But he wouldn't. He loved her, he knew he did. But she was a vampire now for sure. Or she was dead. Every time that thought came he pushed it away. As awful, as terrible, as disgusting a thought as it was; he would rather she was a vampire than dead. He would rather she walk around with no heartbeat than be buried in the ground.

He felt like more of a monster than ever. His thoughts just continued to conflict with each other. He wanted to go to her but couldn't. He knew he should kill her but wouldn't. He felt like every step he walked, every breath he took, was all for her, and that made him angry; and very sad.

All day Tuesday he'd told himself he would go straight home after school; lock himself in his room again. The guys were more worried about him than ever; Billy too, he could tell. But there was nothing he could do. School was just another blur, and when it ended, he walked out telling himself to go home over and over again. But it hadn't worked.

Instead he came here. To the hospital, where he now stood, pacing back and forth, back and forth. At least he hadn't gone to the Cullen's; he had mustered enough control not to go there and find her. He turned to the entrance and walked in the door again. Then he walked back out and began to pace out front once more.

_Leave, just leave, go home and lock the door_, he told himself for the thousandth time. But his feet wouldn't listen. _This is stupid, I shouldn't be here_. He tried to turn and walk away, but it was a wasted effort.

He knew he wouldn't leave until he saw Carlisle. _You need to leave. But I won't, _he argued with himself. He heaved a huge sigh and walked into the hospital, making his way to the front desk. The woman behind the desk looked at him strangely. _She must have seen me walk in and out a hundred times. _

"Can I help you?" she asked uncertainly.

"Uh, yeah, is Doctor Cullen here today?" _Stupid. You should have left._

"Yes, he is. Would you like me to page him for you?" she asked helpfully.

_No. _"Yes, please," he said quietly, and turned away from the desk. _Just leave._

"Doctor Cullen to the front desk please, Doctor Cullen to the front desk," he heard over the intercom.

Jacob paced back and forth in the lobby. _Leave, leave, leave,_ the voice in his head repeated.

"Hello, Jacob," Carlisle said from behind him.

Jacob turned slowly. "Hey," he said dully.

"Please, come with me. I'd like to find somewhere more private to speak with you," Carlisle said and turned to walk away.

_No thanks, I gotta go. _Jacob followed him into a small empty room that appeared to be some sort of lounge.

"Please, have a seat." He motioned toward one of the chairs that surrounded the circular table in the middle of the room.

Jacob stood in his place for a moment before walking to the chair and sitting down. Carlisle sat across from him.

"I'm glad you came to see me Jacob. I was hoping that you would," Carlisle began quietly.

_I wasn't._

"I'm sure you came here to inquire after the girl?"

_The girl. That's what she was in his head too. No name, just 'the girl'. _"Uh, yeah, I guess." He looked away.

"Jacob," Carlisle began," why did you bring that girl to me? I don't understand it at all."

"Is she dead?"

"Well, I suppose she is what you consider to be dead. She's a vampire."

Jacob looked up at him. "Is she awake?" he questioned with more interest.

"Yes, she is. She woke early this morning."

"What's her name?" he almost whispered.

Carlisle paused for a moment before responding. "It's Calli," he said simply.

_Calli. _He put the name to her face in his mind. It was perfect._ No, not perfect. Vampire._

"Jacob? Jacob, are you listening?"

Carlisle's voice broke through his thoughts. "Yeah."

"Jacob, what happened? What did you see? And why did you bring her to me? I need some answers here."

"I heard her scream and I found them and I saw him leaning over her. I know it was a vampire but…I couldn't smell him. I was too late," he rambled and looked down, his voice cracking.

"He wasn't a normal vampire though, was he?" Carlisle asked softly. "You saw something different."

Jacob's head shot up. He looked at him with wide eyes. "Yeah…his eyes. How did you know that?" he demanded, emotion finally filling his voice.

"Because Jacob…Calli is not an ordinary vampire."

"What do you mean?"

"When you brought Calli to me, I knew there was something…off. When someone is bitten by a vampire and the transformation begins, they are in agony. They are writhing and screaming. Calli appeared almost to be sleeping. But I knew it was a vampire that bit her…I could smell the venom in the wound."

Jacob cringed at that. He took a deep breath. "I don't understand," he said, a bewildered look on his face.

"In the 1600's there was a vampire who fell in love with, well, a witch. They were intimate and somehow it produced a child. This child was born, and aged until he was eighteen, and then he did what the coven called ascending. He received…powers at this time, more than he had been born with. He then stopped aging. He was, basically, half vampire half witch. And that is what Calli is."

"Not…one single word of that…made any sense to me. At all," Jacob said slowly.

"No, I suppose it doesn't make much sense," Carlisle replied, sighing. "I guess I'll have to tell you the entire story too." He proceeded to tell Jacob everything William had told him, and everything he had seen of Calli.

Jacob sat the whole time, his face skeptical and disbelieving. When Carlisle was finished he shook his head, closing his eyes and trying to make sense of it all. "That is…the craziest, most…ridiculous thing I have ever heard," Jacob said in a daze.

"Say what you want, but I was there Jacob. I watched her send things flying across the room with her mind. She communicated with me telepathically. She read my mind, and all the other's. I sent her up to Bella to sniff her neck, and it didn't faze her. She is a half breed."

"That is not…possible. Not possible," he mumbled, still shaking his head.

"Well, most people would say it's not possible for a vampire and a werewolf to exist, to have a conversation…yet here we are."

"Why…how…if this were true, how could my people not know anything about it?"

"No one knew Jacob. My friend was told by someone in the coven. He was the only one they told as far as he knows. And he told only me."

"This is insane."

"Maybe, but it's true," Carlisle said, giving Jacob a scrutinizing look. He continued staring at Jacob for a few minutes in silence.

"What?" asked Jacob uncomfortably, looking away.

"You should have killed this girl Jacob, but you didn't. Why?"

"I just…didn't," he muttered, looking away.

"No," Carlisle said softly. "There's something else…something you're not telling me."

"There's nothing else, ok? I just didn't want to kill her. What, you think I should have?" Jacob retorted angrily.

"Of course not. I'm glad you brought her to me."

"What's gonna happen to her now?"

"She's going to stay with us," Carlisle said simply.

"That's it…she's just moving in, one big happy family?"

"I'm not going to send her away. It won't be easy, but I think she'll be ok," he said with a smile.

"Is she scared?" Jacob asked, avoiding eye contact.

"Well, of course she's scared. But it seems to me that she is handling it pretty well. Jacob," Carlisle said hesitantly, "maybe you should ask her these things yourself. She did ask to see you."

"She wants to see me? Does she know…what I am?" he asked incredulously. His heart soared at the thought of seeing her; at the thought of her wanting to see him. And at the same time that annoying argument was going on in his head.

"Of course she does. She thinks you saved her, in a way. Who knows what could have happened if you weren't there."

Jacob thought of seeing her, of looking into her eyes, hearing her voice. _And what would I do if I saw her? _"No," he said firmly, "that's not possible."

"She won't be like other vampires, you know. She's not a danger…she's not something for the pack to worry about. She has no desire to feed whatsoever. She will never attack a human."

"That doesn't change anything, and you know it," Jacob said angrily. But it could change things, couldn't it? _No, still a vampire._

"But it could change things, if you would allow it to," Carlisle said, echoing his thoughts. "I know you want to see her Jacob. I admit, I'm not exactly sure why, but I know you do." He paused. "Does the rest of the pack know what happened?"

"I didn't tell them anything, and I'm not going to," he replied firmly.

"They will find out about her, you know that. But they don't need to know everything." He paused, took a deep breath, then looked at Jacob intently. "There is something I want to ask you Jacob. I'm sure you will say no, at least for now. I'm going to ask you anyway, because I really do feel it will be best."

"What?"

"Calli is different. She is not dangerous to humans the way we are, but she could be dangerous in other ways. She doesn't have control over these powers yet. I'm sure that will take awhile. But in the meantime, she will be in high school, surrounded by humans, and she will be alone. All the others have already graduated. There's no one who can keep an eye on her, to make sure she…keeps control…" Carlisle trailed off.

"I don't really understand where you're going with this," Jacob said tentatively.

"I want someone to be there to keep an eye on her, to make sure she doesn't do anything…unwise. Actually, I want you to keep an eye on her, Jacob," he went on quickly.

"And even if I wanted to do that, how would I do it?"

"Transfer to Forks High. I want you to attend school with her."

"What?! Are you kidding me? That's not possible, even if I wanted to. Which I don't!" he added, trying to sound angry but failing. Because the truth was, he did want to be there, to see her everyday. But he knew he couldn't.

"Of course it is. The pack doesn't even have to know everything. They just need to know that she's here, and that she needs to be…looked after," Carlisle said simply.

"Even if they would agree to that, which they never would, I…can't. I can't be around her. I need to stay away from her," Jacob said quickly.

"I don't believe you, Jacob. I don't believe you want to stay away from her, or that you're a danger. But I won't argue with you. I'll just ask you to please consider it," Carlisle said, standing. "I don't know what's going on here. But there's something I do know. Calli didn't ask for this, it just happened to her, just as what happened to you was not something you asked for. Now she is forced to make the best of it. But she needs help."

"Yes, she is a vampire. But it's not her fault. Think about what I'm saying." He looked directly into his eyes for a minute, saying nothing. "And think about what I've asked you. Goodbye, Jacob." And with that he walked out of the room.

Jacob just stood there unmoving for quite awhile, taking in Carlisle's words, thinking of all the possible meanings behind them. Finally he began to quickly walk out of the hospital. He reached his car and got in, shutting the door and just sitting there, his head against the steering wheel. He knew he needed to stay away from Calli. _Calli. _He finally had a name to put to the face that was in his every thought.

He knew he shouldn't be near her, that he should avoid her at all costs. He was a werewolf, he was supposed to kill her, not love her. He knew how important it was that he make sure he stayed away from her.

Just like he knew that he never would.

He drove home, going back and forth in his head, not knowing exactly what he would do when he got home. His question was answered when he walked into the house and saw Sam sitting with his father on the couch. They looked at him, saying nothing.

"Good, Sam, I'm glad you're here. I kind of need to talk to both of you."


	11. Chapter 11 Seattle

**_Disclaimer - The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

"Remember Calli, give as little explanation as possible to the few people you need to, alright?" Carlisle reminded her.

"I know, I know. Don't worry, I'm not gonna tell them I have to leave because I'm a vampire," she muttered.

Carlisle sighed. "I know that. Just be careful." He gave Esme a kiss on the cheek and she and Calli headed out to the Mercedes.

"Now, you're sure that we can fit all of your stuff in here?" Esme asked.

"Yeah, don't worry, I don't have too much." They got in the car and started the drive to Seattle in silence.

Calli's head had been so full this last day that she felt it might explode. She had lay thinking for hours and hours on end. What else was she going to do? She couldn't sleep. Carlisle had told her there were books she could read if she wanted, but the last thing she needed was to put more in her head at this point. She'd been thinking about everything. Her old life, the new life she would now have. The powers she had.

Even saying it in her own head sounded idiotic; powers. Like she was a superhero or something. But there was one thought that she just hadn't been able to get past, and as they sat in the car for the long drive to Seattle, it was this she thought of. _Why did I lie to Carlisle?_ Of course she remembered the voice. But she had no idea where it had come from. The voice hadn't sounded familiar at all. And she hadn't heard it since.

But it had been so distinct in her head. It wasn't her conscience, it was not her own voice in her head; it was someone else's voice in her head. But whose? Had she been reading someone's mind then? _Impossible, I didn't even know then. _Could she have done it without having tried? _But that still doesn't explain whose voice it was._ She had heard all the guys' voices that were in the house, and she knew without a doubt that it was none of them. She just couldn't figure out who it could be.

More importantly; why had the voice told her to lie? That was the part she really didn't understand. What did it matter if she was already eighteen? It had seemed important to Carlisle when he asked her. Alice and Edward made it sound important when she was eavesdropping. But she had no clue why it would even matter.

It would be in her records that she was only seventeen. She knew they would find out eventually. But she wanted to find out why it was so important first. There must be a reason they'd made a big deal about it. But why? _I think my brain is officially fried,_ she said to herself as she looked out the window at the drizzle. Everything was so surreal. She couldn't believe that this was happening to her.

She still expected to wake up and find it was all a dream. _Not likely, since I can't even fall asleep, _she thought grumpily. _I have about a thousand years to kill and I can't even sleep through any of it…what the hell am I supposed to do? _She moved to lay her head against the back of the seat, closing her eyes and sighing.

"Are you alright?" Esme asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just thinking about stuff."

"I can imagine you have a lot to think about."

"So, are you guys all, like, 500 years old?" she asked

Esme chuckled. "No, we're not quite that old. Most of us are a little closer to a hundred years old. Jasper's closer to a hundred and fifty though. And Carlisle is almost three hundred and fifty."

"Man, that is a long time to be alive," Calli breathed in amazement. "What do you do? It has got to get seriously boring."

"Well, we just try to find things we enjoy. Carlisle of course has his work. You learn to become very…patient," she said with a smile.

_Great...patience. Not a virtue of mine. _"Don't people kind of notice that you guys don't ever get older?"

"We have to move around a lot, of course, so as not to raise suspicion. We go somewhere and stay as long as realistically possible, and then we just move on to someplace else."

"I've never moved in my life. Well, from Seattle I mean," said Calli thoughtfully.

"You were born in Seattle then?"

"Yep."

"Do you like it there?"

"Yeah, I guess it's alright. I don't really have anything to compare it to, though. I've never even visited anyplace else."

"Well, now you have a lot of time to do so."

"Yeah, I guess," she muttered.

"I know this isn't easy for you Calli. I'm sure it will take you a long time to trust us…any of us. I just want you to know, if you ever need to talk, I will be here. The others will too, even if it might not feel like it right now," Esme said gently.

"Thanks," she replied quietly.

"They do like you, you know."

"No, I don't think they do. Especially Rosalie," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Don't pay any attention to Rosalie. She is like that with most people. She didn't like Bella until just a bit ago either. She'll get over it."

_That could be worse. Then I might have to like her. _"I'm sure they don't really appreciate some stranger just coming and moving in though."

"They all remember what it feels like to find out they have changed. And they know you need someone there, that you need support. We were all brought into this family at different times. You're no different. It will take some time to adjust, that's all."

"I guess so," she muttered, looking back out the window. Esme must have sensed that Calli wanted to be left alone. She didn't say another word. Calli kept thinking about the past couple days. She had watched them all move around the house yesterday, and it shocked her how graceful they were. Like they were dancing, or floating. It startled her when she realized that she must look like that now. She hadn't yet gotten used to her reflection, still surprised when she saw it.

Most of them had pretty much stayed away from her for the rest of the day, with the exception of Alice, who had come asking her if she needed anything, or just made small talk. She found herself actually enjoying Alice's company, which was strange for her; she didn't really enjoy the company of anyone.

When she had told Carlisle she didn't have many friends that was kind of an understatement. She didn't have any friends. She liked it that way. She had been like that for as long as she could remember. Even as a small child she'd preferred to be alone. The only activities she had ever participated in had been dance and choir, and she still didn't socialize with anyone there.

People would try, but after she blew them off enough times they stopped. Very few boys had asked her out, and she always made it very clear to those who did that she wasn't interested. When she was younger she had sometimes felt lonely, but she never did anymore. She enjoyed being alone. The only reason that she participated in those activities was because she just couldn't keep herself away. She felt content to be alone. But when she danced, or sang, she actually felt happy, joyful. They were the only things she knew of that fulfilled her.

But she knew that was over. Carlisle had told her this morning that she had to try as hard as she could not to stand out. And when she danced, she stood out. That was actually probably worse than finding out she was a vampire. She really couldn't imagine her life without dance. Just another of the many changes.

"I think we're getting close," Esme interrupted her thoughts.

Calli noticed now that they were passing familiar buildings. She began directing Esme to her apartment; they had decided they would pick up her things, then go to her job, and after that the school. They pulled up to the building and Calli stepped out, pulling Esme's coat around her to keep the rain off. She looked over at Esme, who was eyeing the surroundings. She figured Esme probably hadn't spent too much time in the bad part of town. She led her to the door and unlocked it. They walked in and Calli just looked around.

Apartment wasn't really the best word to use for this place. Room, or closet, would be more appropriate. It was tiny, with a twin bed, a dresser, and a lamp directly across from the door. There was a tiny bathroom that not more than one person could stand in at a time, and to the left of that what was meant to be a kitchen, with a hot plate, a mini fridge, and a small card table. The walls looked dingy and very, very old. There was one small window to the right of the bed. There were bins around the bed to hold things like clothes since the apartment had no closets.

Obviously these were not complete apartments; they had been illegally renovated long ago to make more rooms, and none of them were up to code. But no one really cared about that around here. They were cheap, and that was what Calli had needed. She looked over at Esme, who looked around but said nothing. Calli turned and made her way over to the dresser, taking things out of the few drawers.

"I think I pretty much have enough of these bins here to get everything," she said to Esme. When she didn't get a response she turned around to find that Esme hadn't moved.

"How…long have you lived here Calli?"

"Almost three years," Calli replied, turning back to the dresser and resuming what she was doing. She heard Esme begin to move around behind her.

It didn't take them very long to get her things packed up. She was very meticulous and organized, and she didn't have much anyway. When they had finished loading everything, Calli said she needed to go and talk to the landlady. Esme said she would go too, and despite Calli's protests, they both made their way to her door. Calli knocked. They heard some banging, and finally the door was cracked opened.

"What?" an annoyed voice asked.

"It's Calli, Ms. Grant."

"You got my rent?" she demanded, opening the door just a little more.

Calli sighed. "I paid my rent on the first, like I always do. I just came to tell you I'm moving out today."

"Movin' out?" The door now opened fully to show a middle aged black woman with a cigarette in her hand, her face looking much older than it ought to. "There's fees for that, ya know."

"No, Ms. Grant, I'm not going to pay you any fees. If you'd like to call the police and tell them I'm illegally leaving the apartment you're illegally renting to me, be my guest." Calli turned to walk away, Esme following her.

"That your mom?" Ms. Grant asked from behind her.

Calli turned to face her. "Yeah, it is," she said quickly.

"Huh," the older woman remarked, then closed the door.

They went back to the car in silence. They got in and Calli directed Esme to the grocery store she worked at, Esme once again insisting she come in with her. They made their way to the customer service desk and Calli asked to see the manager.

"Calli, there you are!" exclaimed Mr. Richards, walking up to her quickly. "I was worried about you…I don't think you've ever missed a day of work before Monday. What's going on?" he asked, eyeing both her and Esme. "Are you ok?" he asked her curiously. "I called you a bunch of times, but you never answered your phone."

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You look a little…different. Is everything ok?" he scrutinized Calli carefully.

"Actually Mr. Richards, I'm really sorry, but I'm going to have to quit. I'm sorry I missed the last couple of days without notice," Calli apologized.

"Quit! No! Why?" he asked, frowning.

"I've had a sort of…family situation, and I'm going to have to leave town. I'm really sorry to have to do this to you," Calli explained, careful not to say too much.

"Well isn't that a shame. We're sure going to miss you around here…I wish you didn't have to leave." He finally looked over at Esme, eying her curiously. "Are you Calli's mother?"

"Oh, yes, I am," she said, smiling brightly.

He took a moment, very obviously stunned. "You know, Calli's worked here a long time. I've never seen you before."

"That's certainly a shame. I don't mean to be rude, Mr. Richards, but Calli and I really do have to be going," she smiled at him again.

He looked dazed. "Yes, of course. Well, I'm sorry to see you go Calli. Would you like to give me an address to send your last check?"

"Just go ahead and send it to the old one. It'll get forwarded to me."

"Well, I hope things go well for you Calli, and I hope everything's alright with your family." He looked over at Esme and paused. "You have a very responsible, hard working daughter, ma'am."

"Thank you," she said. "Come on Calli. Goodbye Mr. Richards." And with that they left the store, going to the car and getting in without a word. Calli looked over at Esme, who was just staring at her. She finally turned away and started the car.

"I didn't see a phone in your apartment," Esme spoke up.

"Huh?" Calli asked

"Mr. Richards said he's been calling, but I didn't see a phone there."

"Oh, no, he meant my cell phone."

"Well, where is your cell phone?"

"It's in my car," Calli responded simply. "Oh, crap! My car is on that reservation. How am I supposed to get it?"

"We'll figure something out, don't worry."

Calli gave her directions to the school, which was very close by. They arrived and got out of the car, saying nothing. Calli led the way to the office, looking around, realizing this would be the last time she saw the place. They entered and a woman behind the counter looked up and did a double take. _Esme probably gets that a lot._ Then she realized the woman was looking back and forth between the two of them.

Another woman came walking out from a small office to the left. "Calli, is that you?"

"Hey Ms. Goodwin."

Ms. Goodwin just stared. "I'm sorry, dear," she said, shaking her head. "You look a little different."

"It's ok," Calli mumbled, looking away.

"What do you need?" she asked, eyeing Esme. Ms Goodwin was a tiny woman, with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Actually, I'm getting withdrawn today," Calli said, looking at Esme.

"Is this your mother, dear?" Ms Goodwin asked, surprised.

"Yeah, it is," Calli said quickly.

"Well, I don't think we have ever met you. Although I guess it's not much of a surprise…Calli's never been in any kind of trouble."

Esme just smiled and nodded slightly.

"Well, then, let me just get some paperwork you'll need to fill out. Do you have ID that I could see, please?"

Esme pulled a wallet out of her purse and handed over the fake ID. Ms Goodwin took it and made a copy, coming back with papers for her to fill out. Esme went to the end of the counter to get a pen and began filling them out.

"Well, we'll certainly be sad to see you go," Ms. Goodwin said with a smile. "Have you already spoken to Mrs. Harris?"

"Oh, um, no, I haven't," Calli mumbled, looking down.

"Does she know you're leaving?" Ms. Goodwin questioned.

"No, I haven't told her. It all happened very fast," she explained, shooting a look to Esme, who was looking at her from the corner of her eye.

"Well, I'm sure she would like to know that her dance team captain is leaving, dear," Ms. Goodwin said emphatically.

Esme walked over and handed the papers to Ms. Goodwin, smiling at her.

"Thank you," Ms. Goodwin said, eyeing her carefully. "Calli, would you like to go and see her now?"

"I'm sorry Ms. Goodwin, but we're really in a hurry. Could you please let her know that I spoke with you, and that I'm really sorry…"

"Well, of course I can, but I'm sure she won't be very happy." She looked at Esme. "We'll get her records transferred as soon as the request comes in."

"Thank you very much," Esme said with a smile.

"Thanks Ms. Goodwin," Calli said quietly.

"Good luck at your new school Calli," she responded, stealing one more glance at Esme.

"Thank you for your help," Esme said. "Goodbye."

"Well that was certainly…interesting," Esme remarked when they were on their way back.

"Yeah, I guess," Calli mumbled.

"People seemed shocked that you even have a mother."

"Uh huh."

It was once again quiet.

"So…dance team captain?" Esme said a little more enthusiastically.

Calli sighed. "Yeah," she said softly, leaning her head against the window and looking out, "not anymore."

The rest of the trip passed in silence.


	12. Chapter 12 Choices

**_Disclaimer - The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

"There was definitely something strange Carlisle. These people seemed shocked that Calli even had a mother. There's something more there," Esme said, after telling Carlisle about the events in Seattle.

"Well, I think we already gathered that from her reluctance to even discuss the matter," Carlisle stood behind his desk

"Yes, but it's…more, I think, than we ever thought," she said, pacing the office. "I can feel that there is something very wrong there. She lived in a horrible little place. When I asked her how long she had lived there, she said three years. Three years! She is only eighteen years old!"

"I know there is something wrong there. I can feel it too. But I can't exactly force it out of her, especially right now, with everything else she has to deal with. I'm hoping that, with time, she will trust us enough to confide in us. But for the time being, we're just going to have to leave it alone."

Esme sighed. "I suppose. But it does worry me."

"I know it does, but I really do believe it will all work out," Carlisle said gently.

"It just feels like we have no idea what we're getting ourselves into," she continued worriedly. "Don't get me wrong, I do want Calli here, but everything feels so…uncertain."

"Well, it is uncertain. We can't really be sure where this is going to take us. But I feel like this is the right thing to do. It is the only thing to do. She shouldn't be alone. She needs us, more than she knows."

"I know she does, but she's so…distant. I don't even really know what to do for her."

"I'm sure that is going to change with time. This is all very new to her, and very frightening. But with time, she will get better, I'm sure of it," Carlisle said, walking to Esme and putting his hands on both her shoulders. "We've already made our choice…it's going to be fine," he said, giving her a small smile.

"I know it is," she said, smiling back and wrapping her arms around him. They stood there for a moment before breaking the embrace, Esme making her way to the door.

"Oh," she said, turning back to Carlisle, "I almost forgot. Calli said she left her car on the reservation. We'll need to find a way to get it back."

"Don't worry about that," Carlisle smiled. "I think that may work itself out fairly easily."

Esme gave him a strange look. "Alright then," she said and walked out the door.

* * *

Bella sat on the edge of the bed, staring out the window at nothing.

"Bella?" Edward asked, walking to her.

"Hmmm?" she said, never taking her eyes from the window.

Edward stepped in front of her and bent down to eye level. "You've been very quiet the last few days," he said softly, brushing her cheek with his hand.

"I guess so," she agreed, looking into his eyes and smiling slightly.

"Bella, I know you're upset about Jacob. I'm not quite sure why though. Are you just upset that you weren't here to see him?"

"No. Yes…I don't know," she replied, standing. "I'm not really upset. Well, I'm upset that you didn't tell me anything," she said, shooting him a glare. "But I'm more confused than anything."

"You want to know why he brought her here." Edward supplied.

"Well, yeah, of course!" she said, beginning to pace. "Don't you? It's not everyday that a werewolf comes and just drops off a vampire at the front door. It doesn't make any sense!" she exclaimed. "Especially for Jacob," she added quietly.

"And do you have any theories?"

"No," Bella said quickly, turning away from him.

"You don't really like Calli, do you?" Edward asked, changing the subject.

"Do you?" she shot back.

"Well, I'll admit, she worries me a little…more than a little in fact. But I don't see too much of a reason to dislike her. I didn't like her very much at first because I thought she may be a danger to you, but she's not. Carlisle has asked her to be a part of this family. And now she will be. She's going to be around a lot."

"I know that," Bella said quietly.

"Why don't you like her?"

"I don't know!" she said, exasperated. "She seems ok. I guess I don't really have a reason," she mumbled.

Edward just looked at Bella, knowing she was lying to him. He was fairly sure he knew why she didn't like Calli. "Why do you think Jacob brought her here?"

"I have no idea! It doesn't make any sense. He should have…he should have killed her. That's what Jacob would have done…" she trailed off.

"Unless…" he probed.

"There is no unless," she snapped.

"Please don't lie to me Bella," Edward said quietly, seeing her eyes dart up to his. "Tell me what you're thinking."

Bella just stood there for a few minutes, silent, looking into his eyes. "Unless…he imprinted on her," she almost whispered.

Edward stared at her for a few moments. "And if he did? How would you feel about her? What would you think of that?" he asked, staring into her eyes.

"I don't know," she whispered.

"Would you be…jealous?" he persisted.

Bella sighed. "I love you Edward," she said, walking to him and taking his hand in hers. "And I want to be with you…only you…forever." She gave him a small smile. She just stood there, holding his hand and looking into his eyes. "Jealous isn't the right word. It would just be…hard to …deal with, I guess. I guess I wouldn't really know how to handle it if it happened."

"Would you hate the girl?" Edward asked, taking her hand and going to sit on the edge of the bed, pulling her down next to him.

"I guess it wouldn't really be fair to hate her, would it? I don't know. It would depend on the girl, I guess. I want Jacob to be happy, I really do. I want him to…get past everything that's happened." She sighed. "I just don't know."

She paused and then looked at Edward, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Why are you asking me all this anyway?"

Edward looked into her eyes for a moment, debating. "He did," he said quietly.

"Did what?"

"Jacob. He imprinted on Calli, Bella," he said softly, watching her carefully.

Her breath caught, and she just sat there, saying nothing, eyes wide. "Are you…are you sure?" she finally asked in a choked whisper.

"Yes. I heard it when he brought her that night."

Bella closed her eyes and swallowed hard.

"Are you alright?"

She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. "Who knows?" she asked quietly.

"You and I. I don't know if he has told anyone, though I doubt it."

"How…how could that happen? How could a werewolf imprint on a vampire. Or someone who's going to be a vampire?" she choked out.

"She wasn't. He saw her earlier that day, before she was attacked, walking through the forest. He feels guilty. When he imprinted on her he got very upset. He ran away. He feels like it's his fault she was bitten."

Bella shook her head from side to side slowly. "I…can't believe this. Poor Jake," she said quietly. "What's going to happen?" she asked in a daze. "Do you think he'll still be imprinted to her if she's a vampire?"

"I don't know," Edward responded. "I don't really know much about the imprinting. He has a choice to make, I suppose. I imagine he'll try to stay away from her, knowing what she is."

"Does he know that you know?"

"I'm not sure. He was trying pretty hard not to think about it, but it didn't work very well. He may or may not think I know."

"What about Calli?"

"She knows nothing. She never saw him. I doubt she knows much of anything about the wolves, or imprinting. I'm sure Carlisle told her very little." Edward paused. "Are you alright?"

"I'm ok, I guess. I just…I can't believe this. I guess it was kind of there, in the back of my mind. But I never really expected…I didn't think…" She trailed off.

"I'm sorry Bella," he said gently.

"I think…that it doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Now that I know for sure. I just…I wonder what's going to happen?" she said thoughtfully.

"I don't know. It's definitely a difficult situation. But you can't tell anyone about this. I didn't even tell Carlisle when he asked what I had seen. And you can't be angry at Calli for this either, Bella. She doesn't even know anything about it. I'm sure it will be difficult, but you'll have to try and be civil to her."

Bella sighed. "I know," she said quietly. "I'm not angry at her." _For that,_ she thought.

"Well, that's good," Edward said, smiling at her, "because Carlisle has asked us to take her to school tomorrow and show her around."

She took a deep breath. "Alright," Bella said, giving him a small smile.

"I know you're upset by this Bella. I want you to know that it's ok," he said, looking at her intently.

"I love you."

"I love you too," he said, pulling himself closer to her.

* * *

"Absolutely not," Billy said firmly.

"Why?" Jacob demanded.

"What do you mean 'why'? I am not going to have you change schools so you can go and watch one of them!" Billy spat, his voice full of anger.

"How is it any different than patrolling, dad? I'm just watching and making sure nothing happens. It's the same thing."

"It's not the same thing Jacob! You patrol to make sure none of them are around, that none of them are a threat. If they were on our land you would kill them! That is not the same as going and watching one of them at school."

"Look dad, I already told you, she's not the same as the rest of them. She doesn't even smell blood. I'm not going to be there to make sure she doesn't kill anyone, I'm just there to make sure she…stays under control."

"Why would you even want to do this Jake? You hate the Cullen's. This would put you pretty damn close to them. And that story doesn't sound like its true anyway."

"I don't think Carlisle lied to me," Jacob said firmly. "And I think that maybe it's a good idea."

"Sam, would you please try and talk some sense into him?" Billy said, turning to Sam.

Sam was quiet for a minute. "I think it's a good idea too."

"Huh?" said Jacob.

"What?" Billy cried.

"I don't think that Carlisle would lie to Jacob either. If he thinks this girl should be looked after, then maybe she should," Sam said. "It could help us keep a close eye on the Cullen's too. I think it might be a good idea."

"This is crazy," Billy muttered, shaking his head.

"It's not like anything would happen to me. It's one girl, and she's not even like the rest of them. Besides, isn't it better if one of us is there with her, with all those kids," Jacob pointed out.

"I think he should do it Billy," Sam said firmly.

"You both must be crazy. You can't really think this is a good idea?" Billy asked, looking from Sam to Jacob, both of them nodding their heads.

Billy sighed. "I think it's a terrible idea. But if both of you think that it's for the best, then I'm not going to argue. You two make the decisions regarding the pack. You can do it Jacob."

"Great dad, thanks. I think maybe I'll go out and take a walk. I'll see you guys later." Jacob stood up and walked out the front door.

Billy turned and glared at Sam. "Why in the world did you agree with him, Sam? I thought you more than anyone would tell him what a bad idea this was."

"Well, first of all, I don't think it's such a bad idea. Carlisle is practically giving us an invitation to watch them all, and that could be a good thing. But besides that Billy, did you see Jacob?"

"What do you mean 'did I see him'?" Billy demanded.

"When is the last time you can remember him being like that? Actually wanting to do something? Talking to us like a normal human being instead of the shell he's been for the past few months? Making a choice about anything at all? At least this is something. Something for him to concentrate on, something to take his mind off of Bella."

"I don't know. I guess it could help," mumbled Billy. "It just seems…odd…that he would even want to do this, don't you think?"

"It does seem a little strange, especially with the way he's been acting lately. But I will be grateful for anything that gets him out of this rut."

"Yeah. I guess. Still strange, though," Billy said, shaking his head.

_What did I just do_, Jacob thought to himself as he walked along the beach. _Go back and tell them no, tell them you changed your mind, tell them anything!_

But he knew he wouldn't. The pull he felt was much too strong, and he knew that he needed to be near her. Not _with_ her, no, that wasn't possible, but he needed to be near her at least. He wanted to see her everyday.

_How could seeing her every day possibly help things?_

It wouldn't help anything, he knew that. But he didn't care anymore. It had only been a few days, and already he was too tired of trying to keep himself from going to her. He was tired of not being able to look at her. He had made his choice.

_It will only make it harder. You know you can't be with her!_

No, not with her, but he could be near her. And that would have to be enough.

* * *

Calli sat with her back against the trunk of a big tree, staring out at the big white house. When they had gotten back from Seattle she told Esme she wanted to go for a walk, but Esme insisted she stay right by the house.

Going back to Seattle had been harder than she thought it would be. Knowing she was seeing everything for the last time bothered her more than she liked. It had somehow made everything so final; it made what had happened to her absolute. She was scared of what would happen from here. Change was not something she was used to. Her life had been the same for a long time now, and it had been comfortable. But now it was all up in the air.

She had thought of leaving, just taking off, several times. She didn't know how to be a part of a family, and she wasn't really sure if she wanted to find out. She was terrified of going to school tomorrow. She had known exactly what to expect every day for a long time, and suddenly she had no idea what was going to happen. She knew it would be hard to be on her own with everything that had happened, but she figured she would catch on eventually. But one thing always stopped her.

Carlisle. She didn't know why she felt such a connection to him, but when she thought of never seeing him again, it hurt her. And that bothered her a lot. She didn't form relationships. She never had, and she didn't want to start now. But there was already something there. She had made her choice and, at least for now, she wasn't going to leave.

Her thoughts turned back to Seattle. She thought of seeing her apartment for the last time, her job, her school. She remembered looking out the window at the building she passed everyday but never went into, the building she and Esme had passed on their way to the school. Her mother's building.

That wouldn't bother her. She wouldn't let it. Thoughts from the past tried to invade her mind, tried to get through the barriers she had built so long ago. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Images began to fill her mind, images she had worked so hard to keep away.

_No!_

She had decided long ago that those thoughts would not be welcome. She opened her eyes, forcing the thoughts back to their place deep in her mind, and stood to go in the house.


	13. Chapter 13 Green

**_Disclaimer - The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Calli took a deep breath and looked in the mirror one more time. She had never worn much makeup, but now she put on even less. Her features looked so perfect and flawless. She felt pretty vain, looking at her own reflection so much, but it was just such a shock.

She wondered what people would be thinking when they looked at her. She looked down at her clothes once more. She wore a black and red tank top over a white undershirt, and a pair of faded jeans with holes placed throughout the front. She had on a black pair of tennis shoes which she had laced with big red and black laces. Her hair was parted far to the right, the choppy layers flipping out slightly at the ends.

She finally closed her eyes and shook her head, tired of assessing her appearance. She didn't understand why she was so nervous today. She didn't care what everyone thought of her. She had never cared. But she had gone to school with a lot of the same kids most of her life. They had seen her for years, and had gotten used to the fact that she just wanted to be left alone.

But everyone here would be new. They would be curious; they would want to talk to her. And that terrified her. She had gone as far as to tell Carlisle that maybe she should just drop out; after all, she would have plenty of time to go to school later. He hadn't been too crazy about that idea, and told her it wasn't an option. So here she was, looking in the mirror for what felt like the hundredth time, making sure she looked good for people she could care less about. She scowled at her reflection and left the bathroom, going to her room to get her book bag and coat.

And if she didn't have enough to worry about, she had fallen asleep last night. She hadn't felt tired or anything. Of course, she really didn't feel anything like that anymore; hunger, fatigue, nothing. But nevertheless, she had fallen asleep. It should have been a good thing, she should have been happy about it. If it hadn't been for the dreams. The man who had attacked her made an appearance, his face weaving in and out of images of many people dying, bleeding; being bitten. The images just kept coming, assaulting her mind with their horror.

Finally the last image had pulled her out of the dream. A young girl, no more than six or seven, was standing in front of her in a nightgown, crying, looking terrified. Calli had reached out, almost as if she could grab her, when the young girl's eyes widened, and her throat was suddenly slit from ear to ear. Blood poured from her and she slowly fell to the ground in a heap.

It was at this point that Calli had woken with a blood curdling scream, which had brought everyone in the house to her room to investigate within a moment. She had told them of her dream. Carlisle was shocked to find she could actually sleep. He told her that while she could, he was sure she didn't actually need to.

_Well, if that's what's gonna happen when I sleep, I'd prefer to stay awake for the next thousand years, _she thought to herself as she made her way downstairs. And there everyone was, waiting in the living room like this was some sort of grand event. They were all standing in a line, and looked up at her as she came down. No one said anything.

_What is this?_ "Uh, why are you all staring at me?" Calli asked, looking around at all of them.

"Well, we just wanted to be here to wish you good luck on your first day," Esme said brightly.

"Great," she mumbled.

"Ummm," said Rosalie hesitantly, "I think you need some new jeans…yours have a bunch of holes."

_Are you kidding me? _Calli sighed. "I bought them that way."

"Oh," she replied with a disapproving look.

Carlisle shot a look at Rosalie. "Well, Edward, Alice and Bella are going to take you and show you around. Now remember, just try not to stand out. Of course, people will notice you more than the average…person. But try not to be obvious in any way."

"Yeah, I'll make sure to leave my 'I'm a vampire, ask me how' pin at home," she muttered sarcastically.

Carlisle heaved a sigh. "Please Calli, just…be careful. And not that I expect there to be much to upset you. but make sure to stay calm. We don't want any incidents."

"I know all of this," Calli said, rolling her eyes. "Can we please just go and get this over with. Oh, and this whole being driven to school thing is a little too third grade for me. Can you please figure out a way to get my car back from that reservation?"

"I will. This is just for today." He paused for a moment, then smiled at her. "Well, have a good day." He came over and patted her shoulder.

_Not likely._

"Good luck dear," Esme said, giving her a big hug.

"Uh, thanks," mumbled Calli, uncomfortable with the show of affection.

"Have fun," Emmett said with a big grin.

Jasper gave her a small smile, while Rosalie just looked down at her hand, admiring her nails.

"Ok, well, let's go," Alice said brightly and grabbed Calli's hand, pulling her out the door.

Calli shot a pained look at Carlisle, but he just smiled encouragingly and waved goodbye. They made their way out to the car, Edward getting in the driver's seat while Bella got in the front passenger side. Alice and Calli got in the backseat, and soon they were on their way. Calli wasn't at all familiar with the town of Forks. This trip didn't help at all; Edward drove so fast that everything just whipped by in a blur. Before Calli even knew it they were parking at the school.

She looked around at the school that was so much smaller than hers back in Seattle. There were a bunch of smaller brick buildings instead of one huge one, and they were surrounded on all sides by trees and shrubs. There were no gates, no fences, nothing. Edward, Bella and Alice began walking toward the first building, a small one with a sign that said 'front office'.

It was while they were walking there that Edward stopped dead in his tracks and stared at a girl who was making her way toward them. "Calli," he practically hissed, "why is there a girl here who already knows who you are?"

"Huh?" Calli said with a bewildered expression.

"Oh my gosh!" exclaimed the girl who was now standing in front of them. She was about the size of Bella, a few inches taller than Calli. She was very thin with wavy brown hair that went just past her shoulders and bright blue eyes. "You're Calli Whinehouse, aren't you?"

Calli just stared for a moment, finally blinking quickly and responding. "Uh, yes, I am."

"I can't believe you are actually here! Are you going to this school?"

"Yeah. Do I know you?"

"Oh, well, no, but I've seen you at, like, every dance competition. You are amazing!" the girl squealed. "The other girls are going to freak when they find out you're here! Oh, I'm Jaqie Francis."

"Uh, hi."

"Are you gonna be on the dance team here?" Jaqie asked excitedly.

"Umm, you know, I really need to get going. I have to go get my schedule and stuff."

"Oh, well…ok. Well, I guess I'll see you around!"

"Yeah, sure," Calli said, quickly making her way around the girl.

"This is not good," Edward muttered.

"It's not that big of a deal," Alice shot back.

"She knew her when she was human! That is a big deal," Edward hissed.

"She didn't know me, she just saw me."

They walked into what looked like a tiny waiting room, with a counter separating the area with a few chairs from the one with only three desks. There was a large red headed woman standing at the counter, who watched them all enter the room with a surprised, almost awed look on her face.

"Mr. Cullen, Ms. Cullen, Ms. Swan? What on earth are you doing here?" she asked in a shocked tone that didn't quite mask her awe.

"Hello Ms. Cope," Edward said with a small smile that had the woman looking dazed and shaking her head. "And actually, we are all Cullen's now," he corrected, looking over at Bella with a bigger smile.

"Oh, that's right…I almost forgot that you two had gotten married. Congratulations. Now why are you here again?" she asked, eyeing Calli.

"We're here to bring Calli to school. She's Esme's niece…this is her first day," Alice told Ms. Cope, motioning to Calli.

"Oh, that's right, there is something here about a new student, let me see…" she rustled through the mass of paperwork on her desk. "Here we are. Calli Whinehouse, right?"

"Yep," Alice said when Calli didn't respond.

"Well, here is your schedule of classes. You probably don't need a map. I assume everyone is here to show you around," she said, looking up at Calli, who just nodded slightly. "Take this paper around and have each of your teachers sign it. Then bring it back here at the end of the day, ok?"

"Sure," said Calli quietly.

"Alright then…well, I hope you have a great day. And it was wonderful to see you all again," she said, looking particularly in Edward's direction.

They left the office and began walking around, showing Calli the buildings where each of her classes would be, and finally the gym and cafeteria.

"Well, that's everything," Alice said as Calli looked around apprehensively at the students who were beginning to fill the school up. Of course, most eyes were pointed in their direction, and whispered conversations were going on all around. "I'll be here to pick you up after school. Have fun!" she exclaimed as she danced over to Calli and kissed her on the cheek.

"Good luck," Bella said with a small smile.

_Wow, I think that's the first time she's spoken to me._

"Remember to be careful Calli," Edward said. Alice gave him a reproachful look.

"Uh huh. Thanks," she replied, still looking around.

"Bye," Alice called out as they walked off towards the parking lot, all eyes following them. After they had gotten into the car most of the eyes turned back to Calli, who tried desperately to avert all their gazes.

She walked with her head down toward the building where they had said her English class would be, noticing many people turn and move in the same direction she did. She walked into building three and down the short hall to her class.

The classroom was very small compared to the ones she had been used to in Seattle. There was a long row of hooks along the wall for coats. She placed hers there and went up to the front of the classroom to the teacher's desk to have her slip signed. The man at the desk looked up at her expectantly, and she just handed him the slip.

"Well, hello Calli. I'm Mr. Hansen. Welcome," he greeted her, staring for just a minute, then signing her slip and pointing the way to a desk in the back of the room. She walked quickly, avoiding eye contact with any of the students who were staring at her.

She sat in the desk and immediately took out a notebook and began flipping through it as though it were very interesting. The room continued to fill up and finally the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class. Mr. Hansen stood up and began shushing the class, and then to her utter horror, introduced her.

"Everyone, we have a new student. Her name is Calli Whinehouse," he said, gesturing to the back of the room where she sat. She looked up hesitantly at all the faces in the room turned back at her. She said nothing and put her head down again, concentrating harder on the notebook that held nothing.

"Now, we're going to pick up where we left off with Romeo and Juliet." He walked back and handed Calli a book and a syllabus.

_Ugh, Romeo and Juliet. Perfect beginning to a perfectly terrible day._

He called on someone to begin reading. Calli looked aimlessly out the one window in the classroom, trying to tune out the nasal voice reciting Shakespeare, as well as avoid the eyes that were still watching her. She had already read this story before. And she hated it. Truthfully, she hated pretty much all romance novels, although she had read most of them nevertheless, because they were classics. They all felt totally unrealistic to her.

Then again, she really knew nothing about romance. She had never even liked a boy before. Of course, she had looked at boys, and she could see that some of them were cute. But she had never liked one before, and she had never even come close to dating. Most of the guys at school had known that she didn't date, but every once in awhile a new one would come along and try to ask her out, and she would have to make it clear once again.

Because she had been on the dance team the jocks had thought that she would of course be interested in them. But she never was. And that really didn't bother her. She never felt like she was missing out. She thought most guys were pretty much idiots anyway, especially the jocks who thought they could have anyone because they knew how to throw a ball.

Calli heard the nasal voice stop and Mr. Hansen's voice broke through her thoughts. "Well, two new students in one day, I believe that may be a first."

Calli tore her eyes away from the window to the front of the class, toward the new student. Her eyes widened and she just stared, unable to look away.

She told herself she couldn't stop staring because the boy was so tall. He was taller even than Emmett, and Emmett was the tallest person she had ever seen. He must have been at least six foot six, maybe six foot seven. He was very muscular, his chest and arms filling out the black t-shirt he wore very well. He wore blue jeans and had silky, gleaming black hair that was pulled into a ponytail. He had dark skin and deep set brown eyes, with high prominent cheekbones and a squared jaw. He definitely didn't look like he belonged in this class; he looked at least twenty or so. But his height wasn't why Calli was staring, and she knew it.

Because he had to be one of the most gorgeous guys she had ever seen. Of course, he didn't have that ethereal beauty she had seen in Carlisle or Edward, but he was beautiful. Something that she couldn't really pinpoint felt like it was drawing her to him. She was pretty sure she had never felt a physical attraction like this before, and somehow, it felt like even more than that, like it was on a deeper level. Her breath caught and she just continued to stare, unable to pull her eyes away.

And he was staring at her just as intently.

* * *

Edward, Bella, and Alice walked back into the house to find everyone still in the living room. Edward just glared at Carlisle.

Carlisle stood. "How did everything go?"

"Someone knew her," Alice said.

"What do you mean?"

"A girl there recognized her from her dance team."

"Hmmm…did she seem at all…bothered by her appearance?" Carlisle questioned.

"No, she was just really excited to see her," Alice replied. "She said she had seen her in a bunch of dance competitions."

"That's right," Esme spoke up. "When we were at her school the receptionist mentioned she was the captain of the dance team."

"Well, I don't think it will be a problem. I'll talk to Calli about it."

"Whose car is that outside?" Alice asked.

"It's Calli's."

"Where did it come from?"

"Well," Carlisle began, shooting a look toward Bella, "Jacob dropped it off."

"Jacob?" Bella asked, her brow furrowing.

"Yes. Well, I spoke to Jacob a few days ago. I asked him if he might…do me a favor. Although I don't really feel Calli is a danger, she's not really in control of herself right now. I…well, I asked Jacob to keep an eye on her."

"What do you mean?" asked Alice.

"Well, all of you have already graduated, and Calli is all alone at school. I thought she would need someone there with her. Jacob has transferred schools. He will be attending school with Calli."

"What?" Alice cried.

"Well, this ought to be interesting," Edward mumbled.

Bella just made her way upstairs silently.

* * *

Jacob parked his car outside of the school and got out, just staring. He was a little late after dropping Calli's car off. Quil had agreed to go with him to drive one of the cars and then ran home. Before he had gone he questioned Jacob one more time.

"Are you sure you want to do this Jake?"

"I'm sure Quil. Don't worry. It's gonna be fine."

"I guess. I just don't know why you would even want to."

"I just do. I gotta go, I'm gonna be late."

"Alright man, I'll see ya later," and with that he had disappeared into the forest.

Jacob made his way to the front office, getting all the papers he would need, along with a map and directions to his first class, English. He walked there slowly, still debating with himself.

_You can still turn around and leave._

But he knew he wouldn't. Just knowing that he was this close to her, that she was somewhere in this school where he was, had him feeling better than he had in what felt like forever. And he had thought of something last night. Something that made him want to see her even more than he already did, if that were even possible.

When he had imprinted on her, she was human. But now she was a vampire. What if the imprint didn't hold? What if it were somehow cancelled out now that she was changed? He still had that overwhelming desire to be with her, but what if once he saw her as a vampire that went away? It was logical. More logical than a werewolf being imprinted on a vampire.

He found the classroom he was supposed to be in. He took a deep breath, opened the door and walked in. The skinny blonde kid at the front of the class stopped reading and looked up at him, obviously startled by his appearance. But then again, most were. The teacher looked over at him, but he just kept scanning the classroom, hoping to find her there.

And there she was, in the back corner of the room, looking idly out the window. She still looked so tiny. He could tell a change had taken place. She had been beautiful before, but now she was even more so. But it wasn't the same as the others; it wasn't that inhumanly perfect beauty. She just looked slightly enhanced, but still very…human.

"Well, two new students in one day, I believe that may be a first," the teacher said.

But Jacob never even glanced at him. Calli had just turned from the window and was staring directly at him with wide eyes.

Green. Her eyes were a deep green.


	14. Chapter 14 Welcome to Forks High Calli

**_Disclaimer - The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and comoe from her Twilight series._**

* * *

"Excuse me. Hello? Are you supposed to be in this class?" Calli finally heard the teacher's voice and broke her gaze with the boy at the front of the room. The students were looking back and forth between the two of them.

She saw him shake his head slightly from the corner of her eye, as if trying to clear his mind. "Yeah, I'm supposed to be here," he said, handing the teacher the slip in his hand.

_Ugh, even his voice is too perfect,_ she thought, lowering her head slightly and shielding her eyes with her hand. His voice was deep and strong, very low and husky. She willed her eyes to stay away from him, though all they wanted to do was continue to stare.

"Well, welcome," the teacher said, going over and grabbing another book from the small stack. "You can sit right over there." He pointed to a seat in the middle of the room on the opposite side Calli was on, so she could see only the back of his head.

His movement was so graceful he almost looked like he glided across the floor as he went and took his seat, which looked much too small for him. He was too graceful for someone his size. "Let's continue," the teacher said, calling on a girl to resume the reading.

_Why didn't the teacher introduce him? _Calli thought, slightly annoyed.

She looked at the boy's back. No, not boy; man. He looked like he could be up there teaching the class. _Every guy in this room is gonna go hit the gym after seeing him, _she said to herself. She couldn't believe she was just sitting here staring at this guy. She did not check guys out. But she found it almost impossible to take her eyes off of him. He had this sort of beauty that she didn't even know how to describe.

All of the sudden he was turned and staring into her eyes again. She tried to turn away quickly but found she was unable to; she felt like something was holding her in place. She was literally telling herself to look away, but something in her wouldn't listen; she just stared at him, while he stared right back.

"Calli? Did you hear me?"

The teacher's voice once again broke into her thoughts, and she looked up, dazed. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked, having no idea what the teacher had said to her.

"What do you think is the romantic pull that draws readers into Romeo and Juliet? What is it about their story that attracts so many?"

Calli thought for a minute, debating how she would respond. She finally decided to go with the truth. "I have no idea."

"What's that?"

"I don't know. I don't really like Romeo and Juliet," she said, looking down at the still empty notebook in front of her. All of the students turned to stare at her.

"And why is that?" he prodded.

"It just seems kind of…dumb to me, I guess. Romeo loves Rosaline, and then he sees Juliet and forgets all about her. Then they fall in love in, like, one night, and they get married. Then he goes and kills her cousin on their wedding night. And then the whole fake death suicide thing…it just seems so unrealistic."

"Well, that's certainly interesting, and a much different take on the story than most," the teacher said. "Can anyone else give their opinion on the attraction of the story?"

Calli tuned the voices out as she saw almost every girl raise their hand, ready to defend the star crossed lovers no doubt. She began doodling on the empty pages of the notebook in front of her, determined not to look up at him again.

Finally the bell rang and she shoved her things into her book bag and looked up to see that the boy, guy, whatever, had disappeared. A lot of the other students had stood, but were still in the room, some shooting glances back at her. She looked at her schedule to see that she had Government next.

She grabbed her coat off the hook, put it on, and made her way to where she thought the building Alice had pointed out was, looking around her the whole time. She was relieved to see that she had gone the right way and stepped into the classroom, only to see a familiar face seated in the back…the guy.

She avoided eye contact once again and made her way to the teacher's desk, watching almost all the student's eyes once again following her. She handed her the slip of paper, grateful that there was no small talk. The teacher simply handed her a book and pointed to a desk. Calli turned and cringed inwardly as she realized the desk was right next to the unknown boy. _This ought to be interesting. _She made her way there and sat down, making sure to angle herself off to the left so she wouldn't stare again.

This teacher didn't introduce either of them, instead jumping into a no nonsense lecture on the Bill of Rights. Calli took notes while still turned to the left so as to avoid him. But she sensed that his eyes were on her often, and she felt something strange; heat, like it was very warm right between them. She clearly heard his foot tapping against the floor and his deep steady breathing. Although she had noticed she was much more aware of things since she was changed, she had never been aware of anything like she was him.

His scent was musky, almost like the forest, and it, like everything else about him, overwhelmed her. She tried desperately to concentrate on anything that wasn't him, but she failed. She was just glad that she wasn't staring again. When class ended she jumped up, having already put her things away and, clutching her schedule in her hand, made her way to her next class, Spanish. She once again went to see the teacher and sat in her assigned desk, watching the door and hoping he wouldn't walk through it.

The bell rang and he had not come in. She leaned back in her seat and sighed with relief, ignoring the part of her that was disappointed he hadn't come. Her relief was quickly gone.

"Hey Calli!"

She looked to her right to see that girl Jaqie seated right next to her. _Damn._ "Hey."

"I'm so glad we have a class together!" she chattered excitedly.

Calli just gave her a small smile and concentrated on pulling her things out of her book bag, taking longer than necessary.

"So, how come you moved to Forks?" Jaqie asked.

"To live with my aunt and uncle," she replied dully, trying to get the point across that she was not interested in conversation.

"Are you related to the Cullen's?" she asked incredulously.

"Uh huh."

"Wow," she breathed. "You guys must just have a family of supermodels. You're all so gorgeous!"

"Uh, thanks," Calli said awkwardly. Just then the teacher began the class. Luckily there were no more chances for small talk, and as soon as the bell rang Calli was ready and darted up out of her seat and out the door to her next class.

She was careful not to move too quickly; Carlisle had warned her she couldn't be too fast in front of humans. _Humans, holy crap. _Every time she thought of herself as not human she got creeped out. She walked to her next class, quickly becoming familiar with the school. She got to Calculus and repeated the process with this teacher as well, watching the door carefully, but once again he didn't come through.

She paid no attention to anything the teacher was saying. She absolutely hated math. She always got horribly confused and made tiny little errors that threw the whole problem off. Of course, she knew that wasn't the only reason she wasn't paying attention. She had no idea what was wrong with her. She could not get him off her mind. This wasn't like her at all. And she really didn't like it. She remembered every little detail about him. She had already pictured his face about a hundred times in the two classes she had without him. She thought she must be going crazy. _Maybe it's just because of the whole vampire thing. Has to be. _She really just never liked guys very much. And she had certainly never felt…whatever it was she was feeling right now for this one. The bell rang and she looked up, surprised the class was over already. She packed up her book bag and got up to walk out of the room.

"Hey there."

She looked ahead at the boy that was standing in front of her. He was fairly tall, about six feet, with sandy blonde hair and light blue eyes. He looked lanky and athletic, and very self assured.

_He's a jock for sure._ "Hello," she mumbled, darting around him and making her way out of the classroom.

He caught up to her quickly. "I'm Chris…Chris Gardner."

"Calli."

"I know. You're the talk of the school today."

_Fabulous._

"After all, it's not everyday we get a beautiful new girl in school," he said, flashing her a big smile. "I was hoping you'd have lunch with us."

_Give me a break, _she thought, turning her head slightly to roll her eyes without him noticing._ How do I get out of this?_

"Hey Chris!" a voice from behind called out, as Jaqie ran up to the two of them. "You met Calli," she said, a slight trace of annoyance in her voice.

They had reached the door to the cafeteria. "Yeah. I just thought I should welcome our newest student." He looked down, giving her a slow smile and then a wink.

_Ugh._

"Well you're mistaken then," came a deep voice from behind them.

Calli turned quickly to find herself face to face with the person who had occupied her thoughts all day. Well, face to face wasn't right. More like chest to face.

"I got here about ten minutes later. Guess that would make me the newest student."

Calli just stared, unmoving. She breathed in his scent again and felt a little disoriented. He just stared right back at her, not saying anything, his face expressionless.

"Well, if I had wanted to welcome you I would have," Chris said with a distinct edge to his voice. "Now if you don't mind, we were just going to go have lunch." He gave Calli another smile.

_What are you, crazy? This guy will step on you._

"Umm, you know what, I just remembered, I was supposed to go see one of my teachers during lunch, you know, gotta get caught up. I'll see you later," Calli said hurriedly, directing herself at none of them.

She walked away quickly and darted into one of the buildings. She pressed her back against the wall and let out a huge breath. Being that close to him had done something to her. If she had a heartbeat she was sure it would be through the roof right now. _Ugh, don't think about that!_ Another creepy non human moment.

She closed her eyes and took in a few deep breaths, then poked her head back out the door to make sure no one was around. She made her way outside and sat at one of the picnic tables in the front of the school, pulling her hood up to cover her hair from the drizzle. This didn't make sense to her. She didn't even know this guy. And while she knew that there was a definite…physical attraction, there was something else there. Something more, something deeper.

_Not possible, I've never seen him in my life before today._

Nevertheless, it was there. And it freaked her out.

_I didn't date when I was human, I'm pretty sure it won't be better as a vampire. Gah, stop thinking about it!_

The bell rang and people started coming outside. Calli got up and walked to the gym, finding the teacher and repeating the whole slip process once again.

"Well," the gym teacher said, "we're just playing volleyball today. Think you can handle it?" she asked, tossing Calli a uniform.

Calli just nodded and went to the locker room to change. She joined the others out on the gym floor, looking down so she didn't catch anyone's eye. She could feel all eyes on her.

"Alright, listen up," one of the teachers yelled. "I'm gonna walk around and give you a number between one and four. That's what team you're on. Four teams, two games, got it?" She walked around telling everyone their number, putting Calli on team three.

"Ok, teams one and two on this net, teams three and four on that net there. Move it!"

Calli walked to the net and to the back left corner. She looked around her to see who was on her team. Chris smiled and winked at her, just two people down.

_Oh great._

She turned away, rolling here eyes, and stared forward. Right at tall guy. He was in the back corner also, just across from her. He just looked at her, that expressionless look that she had gotten from him all day. She looked down at the floor and stared at her shoes.

"Ok, get started!" the teacher yelled.

The other team served the ball, and the game went on fairly uneventfully. She saw tall guy hit the ball hard at Chris a few times, getting him pretty good in the head once, and she couldn't help but smile. Jaqie was on the other team too, and she spent most of the game staring at Chris. At one point she looked up and found herself staring at tall guy, once again unable to break the gaze. If her senses hadn't gotten better with the change she was pretty sure she wouldn't have heard the ball flying at her head, but she did, and ducked just in time for it to hit the floor hard.

She looked up and saw a girl in front of her with a sarcastic smirk on her face. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked away, turning to whisper to the girl behind her. A whistle was blown and the teacher yelled for them to go and change. Calli started walking to the locker room.

"Hey!" she heard from behind her. She kept walking.

"Hey you! Calli!"

Calli sighed and stopped, turning around. The girl who'd thrown the ball at her stood just a few feet away. She was almost half a foot taller than Calli, with long white blonde hair that went more than halfway down her back and green eyes. There was a girl on either side of her; one of them was Jaqie. Calli didn't say anything.

"I'm Katie Mallory."

"Ok." Calli started to turn around.

"I'm _captain_ of the dance team here," she said haughtily.

"Co captain," Jaqie interjected.

Katie turned and gave Jaqie an icy glare.

"Good for you," Calli said.

Katie narrowed her eyes at her. "I know who you are. I just want to make sure you know who _I _am. Don't forget, ok?" She gave her a sickly sweet smile.

_Is she for real? _"I'll try to remember," Calli retorted sarcastically, turning and walking to the locker rooms.

_This day just gets better and better._

She got dressed and headed to chemistry, relieved that it was her last class of the day. She walked in and saw tall guy standing by the teacher's desk. _Of course, who else? _she thought. _My luck is just spectacular today._

She waited until he walked to his assigned seat before making her way to the teacher's desk. He looked up over his glasses as she handed him her slip.

"Well, two new students in one day," he said as he signed the slip and handed her yet another book. "Very interesting. I'm Mr. Barnes. You can take a seat right over there."

She looked back and was relieved to see it was across the room from tall guy. She went and sat down, folding her arms and putting her head down, covering her eyes, not even glancing at who she was seated next to. _There's no way this day could get worse._

"Ok class, settle down," Mr. Barnes said, standing at the front of the room. "We have two new students with us today."

_Nope, I was wrong._

"This is Calli Whinehouse right back here."

She lifted her head and briefly looked at all the students staring at her before she dropped it into her folded arms again.

"And over here we have Jacob Black. Please make them feel welcome." He then proceeded to begin going over the lesson for the day.

At the sound of his name Calli's head jerked up and she looked in his direction, her eyes wide and surprised, her mouth practically dropping open.

_Jacob?_


	15. Chapter 15 Welcome to Forks High Jacob

**_Disclaimer - The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

They just continued to stare at each other. Jacob was aware of nothing but her. Her gaze felt like it was setting him on fire; his blood boiled and he felt slightly breathless, his heart racing in his chest.

"Excuse me. Hello? Are you supposed to be in this class?" Calli quickly looked away from him and he finally paid attention to what the teacher was saying.

"Yeah, I'm supposed to be here," he said, shaking his head and going to hand the teacher the slip he was supposed to have signed.

"Well, welcome," the teacher said. He handed him a book. . "You can sit right over there." He pointed to a desk on the opposite side of the room from Calli. Jacob went to sit down in the uncomfortable, too small chair.

"Let's continue," the teacher said, and picked someone to begin reading again.

He had to try desperately to keep his breathing steady. Being in the same room with her was having an unbelievable effect on him. Now that he was so close the desire to go to her was much stronger, and he had to plant his feet hard to keep from doing it. The desire to go to her, to just get a little closer now, felt like it was trying to burst its way out. _So much for the imprint not holding. _

Carlisle hadn't lied to him; she was definitely not like them. Her eyes, obviously, were probably the same as they had been when she was human. While she was more beautiful, it wasn't like the vampires. She still retained something…human…that they did not. She was still stunning; the most beautiful person he had ever seen. And he couldn't smell her. Not at all. He could smell a vampire from pretty far away. But he smelled nothing here. It probably would have been better if he could. He needed something that repelled him from her. But there was nothing. He turned slightly to look back at her.

She was staring right at him and, try as he might, he couldn't look away. He felt like he was physically being pulled toward her. Her gaze held his, and he just sat there, marveling in the fact that he was actually looking at her. He could feel his heart begin to accelerate again. He wanted nothing more than to jump out of his seat and go toward her. He pictured it clearly in his mind.

_Can't be with her. _He didn't want that voice in his head right now; he just wanted to stare at her forever.

She finally looked away, directing her gaze to the teacher. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked.

Jacob didn't even hear what the teacher said next. He had finally heard her voice. It was kind of like how she looked; small, strong. He turned his head away.

"I have no idea," Calli said to the teacher. Jacob had no idea what he had even asked her.

"What's that?" the teacher asked.

"I don't know. I don't really like Romeo and Juliet," she responded.

Jacob saw everyone in the room turn to look at her, but he stayed facing forward, not wanting to get locked in another of those gazes again.

"And why is that?"

"It just seems kind of…dumb to me, I guess. Romeo loves Rosaline, and then he sees Juliet and forgets all about her. Then they fall in love in, like, one night, and they get married. Then he goes and kills her cousin on their wedding night. And then the whole fake death suicide thing…it just seems so unrealistic."

_Huh._ That wasn't a normal girl's response to Romeo and Juliet. They all usually thought it was the greatest love story ever.

"Well, that's certainly interesting, and a much different take on the story than most. Can anyone else give their opinion on the attraction of the story?"

Jacob sneaked a look at her, seeing her drawing in some notebook, her head lowered. He turned away before she noticed him staring. _You can't be with her._ The annoying voice was right. He couldn't be with her. He had to try and stop staring; it made the feelings worse, more intense. He leaned back and closed his eyes, running his hand through his ponytail. _I just have to avoid her. I can be here with her, but I have to avoid her._

He opened his eyes and looked at the clock, waiting for the bell to ring. When it did, he jumped out of his seat and darted out of the room as quickly as he could. He didn't know how he would handle it if she walked right next to him. He had already memorized where his next class was. He got there fast, and went to hand the teacher his slip. She just gave him a book and told him where to sit. He went to the back of the room and took his seat. _They need to make these things bigger. _

He stared at the door. _Please don't come in, please don't come in. _As much as he knew he really wanted to see her, he also knew he had to stay away. And if he kept having encounters with her he knew that was less likely to happen. She walked in the door and looked at him, quickly looking away again. He just sighed and shook his head. She went to the teacher's desk just as he had; the teacher gave her a book and pointed to the back of the room; right where he was.

He quickly looked around him and saw that the desk to his left was empty. _Not good._ She walked back and sat in the desk, never looking at him. She turned herself to the left, away from him, and pulled a notebook from her backpack. Soon the teacher started class and Calli began taking notes on the lecture, still staying turned away from him. He didn't do anything. He couldn't hear the teacher. He had no idea what she was talking about. Because being this close to her, so close he could reach out and touch her, was killing him.

He gripped the edges of his desk to keep his hands occupied and tapped his foot on the floor, taking deep breaths to calm himself. He had never had any kind of desire like this. He felt like she was a magnet, and he was being pulled to her. And now, being this close, he could smell her. He couldn't really tell what the smell was. Not vampire, of course, but it was…something. Something he didn't really know how to describe. Most girls he smelled had a floral smell. His sense of smell was heightened with humans too, and she smelled human. But different than other girls. It just made it that much worse to be near her.

Everything he saw made him think she was human. Everything he saw made him think it was ok to be with her. And he wanted to be. Despite the voice in his head, the fact that he knew what she really was, he wanted to be with her. And being this close was not helping.

The bell rang, suddenly interrupting his thoughts, and this time it was her who jumped out of the seat and sped out of the room; she was fast. He just looked at her desk for a minute and then got up slowly and left the room, making his way to his next class. He got his slip signed and took his seat, his conflicting thoughts wishing she wasn't in this class and hoping she was all at the same time. When the bell rang and she still hadn't walked in he leaned back and closed his eyes, flexing his tense arms out on the desk. They were sore from gripping the desk the entire period.

"Hi." He heard the voice close to him and turned toward it. "I'm Katie," the girl said, smiling at him.

"Hey, I'm Jacob," he replied, uninterested. The girl was pretty. She had long blonde hair and green eyes, and she was tall and statuesque. But she wasn't Calli, and that was all he was interested in at the moment.

"So, how's your first day going?"

"Fine."

"You know, you should come and sit with us at lunch today. It'll be fun," she said in a flirty tone.

He looked over at her again; she was sizing him up. She looked like she was probably a cheerleader or something. She met his eyes and gave him a grin. "Yeah, maybe," he said, and turned to begin pulling things out of his bag.

Luckily the class started and he pretended to be very interested in what the teacher had to say. But his mind never left Calli. Now he had more images of her to run through his mind, and they did; over and over.

_I can't do this._ He couldn't let himself go there. He was here to watch her. To make sure nothing happened. Watch her. That was all. But if he had to go through this every day he thought he would probably go insane. He had only been trying to keep from going to her for two hours and already it felt like a lifetime. If every day was like this he knew he'd be in trouble; and soon.

And of course every guy in the room had been staring at her too. Not really a surprise, she wasn't just new, but beautiful. They had stared at him a little too, but that was for a very different reason. His size always had people staring. But he knew why they were staring at her. Of course, she was more…enhanced than the average girl, but he was pretty sure even if she wasn't they would have been staring. And it made him want to punch every single one of them. He wanted to shove them into a wall and make sure they understood that they did not have the right to look at her.

But he knew he couldn't. She couldn't know how he felt about her. And the more he thought about how he was going to accomplish that, the more dumbfounded he was. The bell rang and he left class, going to the next one and staring at the door once again. But she didn't come in that one either, and he spent the whole period thinking the same things he had been thinking all day.

He felt like there were two people in his head arguing. One wanted to go to Calli; that one was strong, and that was the one he wanted to listen to. He knew what she was; he knew what he was supposed to do. But he didn't care. He hated to admit it, but he didn't; what he felt toward her was too strong, and amazingly it was winning over the fact that she was a vampire. Then there was the other one; the one who kept saying that he had to stay away from her, that he couldn't be with her. He knew he should listen to that one; that he had to listen to that one. But he desperately didn't want to. This was much harder than he had ever thought it would be.

The bell rang and this time it was for lunch. He had no idea what he was going to do. He was afraid of what would happen if he saw her. What if she got curious and came to him?

"Calli," he heard her say as he rounded the corner. She was walking away from him and there was a guy walking next to her, staring; no, leering.

"I know. You're the talk of the school today," the guy said, smiling at her. But she wasn't even looking at him. Instead she looked at the floor.

She was clearly uninterested, but obviously this guy didn't see that. "After all, it's not everyday we get a beautiful new girl in school," he said, widening his smile. "I was hoping you'd have lunch with us."

Jacob clenched his fists. He felt the spasms, the anger, and he knew he needed to get it under control now. _And I'm supposed to be watching her, keep her under control, _he said to himself as he took deep breaths to stop the convulsions. He saw Calli turn her head away from the guy and roll her eyes. This made him smile a bit; and as much as he didn't want to admit it, he was relieved. This guy looked like he was probably pretty popular, but Calli obviously didn't care; it wasn't obvious to the guy though.

Just then he heard a girl yell. "Hey Chris!" She ran up to who he now knew was Chris and Calli. "You met Calli," she said, her voice sounding slightly defeated.

_Jealous much?_

They had just stopped in front of the cafeteria. "Yeah. I just thought I should welcome our newest student."

_Don't do it. You have to stay away from her. Don't do it. _But then he saw him wink at Calli, and there was no way he was staying away. He should; but he wasn't going to. He walked up behind the three. "Well you're mistaken then," he said.

All three of them turned around, but it was only Calli he saw. He stared into her eyes again. Being this close to her with her staring into his eyes was torture; he felt something like an electric current between them. Everything inside of him told him to reach out to her; and he almost did. But somewhere he could still hear that voice, though it seemed very far away, that told him he couldn't.

"I got here about ten minutes later. Guess that would make me the newest student," he said, never taking his eyes off of Calli.

"Well, if I had wanted to welcome you I would have. Now if you don't mind, we were just going to go have lunch," Chris said, sounding pretty annoyed. He looked down at Calli and smiled.

Calli finally broke her gaze from him and gave Chris a look like she thought he must be crazy. Jacob smirked. He could pretty much guess what she was thinking; he was about half a foot taller than Chris and built much bigger.

"Umm, you know what, I just remembered, I was supposed to go see one of my teachers during lunch, you know, gotta get caught up. I'll see you later," Calli stammered and walked away quickly. Jacob watched her dart into one of the buildings.

"Maybe you should mind your own business," Chris said.

Jacob turned and looked at him. _Don't do it Jacob. _"You see that girl Calli. It would be in your best…interest…to stay away from her. Far away. Got it?" He took a step closer to Chris, emphasizing the fact that he had to look down at him.

Chris glared and finally spun around and walked into the cafeteria. Jacob just stood there for a minute. He wanted to go after Calli. He was pretty sure that the teacher thing had just been an excuse.

_No!_

He sighed, listening to the voice this time as he walked into the cafeteria. He went to stand in line and got some food, then walked to an empty table to sit down. He ate slowly, looking around to make sure no one was coming to sit with him.

He spotted that Katie girl sitting at the same table as Chris. _Figures,_ he thought as he looked at the others at the table. They all pretty much looked like cheerleaders and pretty boys. He had seen some of them before, up at First Beach. He was just glad that Katie hadn't come over to try and sit with him like she had suggested.

He got up and walked his food to the trash, unable to finish it. He decided to just make his way to the gym early since that was his next class. He waited for the bell to ring and then went and found the teacher by the locker room, who signed his slip and gave him a uniform. He went to change and made his way out to the gym floor, passing Chris on the way and giving him a little smirk.

He looked around; and there she was on the other side of the gym. She was looking down at the floor and hadn't spotted him staring. He took the opportunity to just look at her, watch her, without her looking back. He finally looked around to see that, once again, almost all eyes were on her.

"Alright, listen up. I'm gonna walk around and give you a number between one and four. That's what team you're on. Four teams, two games, got it?" the girl's teacher walked around giving numbers, telling him four.

"Ok, teams one and two on this net, teams three and four on that net there. Move it!"

He walked over to the net and noticed Calli walking to the same one; she went to the opposite side he was on and stood in the back corner. He went and stood in the corner across from her and kept staring. He watched her look around at her team; her eye caught Chris' and he smiled and winked again.

Jacob fought to control the trembling he felt begin. Just then Calli turned her eyes to him, but quickly looked away. He looked at Chris and glared.

"Ok, get started!" the teacher yelled.

His team served the ball and the first time it came to him, he pounded it in Chris' direction, hitting him in the head. Chris just glared.

The game went on, with Jacob looking at Calli on and off. She finally looked up and caught his eye, and they were locked in another one of those gazes. His heart started to accelerate, and now more than ever he wanted to go to her. She looked small; fragile. He wanted to hold her. Just then he saw her duck as the ball just barely missed her head. She looked in front of her at a girl on his team; Katie. He saw Katie turn and start whispering to the girl behind her. Then he heard the whistle and the teacher told them to go change.

He started walking to the locker room, turning to look at Calli once more before going in. She was standing there, and Katie was standing in front of her with two other girls; one was the girl who had been with Calli and Chris by the cafeteria. He saw them talking; Calli didn't look too happy. Finally she turned and walked into the locker room.

He got changed and went to his next class. He got his slip signed, got a book, and went to his seat; and there Calli was at the front of the room, making her way to the teacher's desk. She got her slip signed and was given a book, and went to a seat across the room from him. He was grateful for that; staying away all day had worn him down. The voice telling him to stay away was quieting, and if she had been close he didn't know if he would have listened to it. He saw Calli sit and put her head on her crossed arms.

"Ok class, settle down," he heard the teacher say from the front of the room. "We have two new students with us today."

_Great._

"This is Calli Whinehouse right back here," he said, motioning to Calli, who raised her head for a moment to look at the class, then dropped it back onto her arms.

"And over here we have Jacob Black. Please make them feel welcome."

He saw Calli's head shoot up in his direction, a shocked expression on her face. _She knows who I am. _He knew it. She kept staring wide eyed for a minute, then finally turned away from him, putting her head down facing the opposite direction.

_She knows._ And now this was going to be even harder. He was sure she would approach him now. And what could he say to her? He knew what he wanted to say. _No._ But he couldn't, he knew he couldn't. He needed a way that he could stay away from her. Because he had to. And he knew what he had to do. What he was going to do. It was going to kill him; it was killing him just thinking about doing it. But he knew he had to do it. He planned it out in his head, and thought he was ready when the bell finally rang.

No, he wasn't ready; he couldn't be. But he would do it. He jumped out of his seat and made his way out the door. He went as quickly as he could to the office and turned in the slip signed by all of his teachers. He walked away from the door and waited for Calli to go in. He saw her go in, then a moment later come back out. He took a deep breath._ I can't do this_. He almost lost his nerve. But he knew he had to do it. He could only be near her; that would have to be enough.

He walked over and stepped out in front of her. She stopped abruptly and looked up at him, stunned.

_No, I can't do this; I'm not gonna be able to do it. _He took a deep breath. _I have to do it. It'll have to be enough. _"You know who I am?" he demanded, making his voice harsh.

She just stared at him for a minute. "You're…you're Jacob."

"Carlisle told you about me?" He kept the edge in his voice.

"He told me who you were. He told me about…you saved me." She was looking up at him with those deep eyes, and they were full of…something, he didn't know what, but it was good. It killed him that he was going to ruin that. "Carlisle told me you lived on the reservation though."

He held himself rigid and tried to prepare for what he had to do. He looked at her beautiful face and his heart felt like it might break in two. "Don't you go to school there?" she questioned him.

He wanted to take her in his arms. But he didn't. He couldn't. "I'm here for you."

"Me?" She sounded completely confused

_Here goes._ "To watch you. That's what I do. I watch the bloodsuckers." It hurt him to watch her face changing that way. He made his voice angry. "I have to make sure you don't go around killing people. So here I am. Just know; I'm watching. So you better be careful. If I have to, I will stop you. Remember that." His voice had almost broken on that last part.

He had watched her expression change from sweet to confused to shocked; and at that last part it was angry. He looked at her face for another second and then turned and walked off toward his car. He wanted to turn around and go back to her, to erase what he'd done and start over. But he couldn't. His chest ached from the pain he'd inflicted on her. He felt terrible; like he could scream, or cry.

He took deep breaths and just concentrated on not going back to her, on not telling her the truth. That was all he wanted to do. He looked back once to see her getting in a car in the parking lot, Alice behind the wheel. He turned back and made his way to the car.

_Near her. That will have to be enough._


	16. Chapter 16 Dreaming of You

**_Disclaimer - The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Calli jumped into the silver Volvo and slammed the door. "Where's Carlisle?" she demanded, her voice full of anger.

"He's at home. Why? What happened? Did Jacob say something to you?" Alice asked hurriedly.

"Just get me there. Now."

Alice drove quickly, Calli staring angrily out the window the whole time, and they were there in just a couple minutes. She jumped out of the car and ran up the steps, throwing the front door open.

"Carlisle!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

Carlisle, Edward, and Jasper came immediately down the stairs, and Esme, Emmett and Rosalie walked in from the back of the house. Alice had walked in the door, and Bella soon came down the stairs too.

"So, you know, when I said I wanted to meet Jacob, I didn't really mean in the middle of class," she spat sarcastically. "It's nice to know you think I need to be babysat by a werewolf! One who already hates me, no less!"

Bella and Edward exchanged a glance. "Now, Calli…" Carlisle began.

"No! Don't 'now Calli' me! I don't like being treated like a kid, and I don't like being threatened!" she said angrily, her voice rising with every word.

There was a crack of thunder outside. Alice glanced out the window, brow furrowing in confusion.

"Threatened? What do you mean threatened?" Emmett demanded.

"My new chaperone made it quite clear what he was there for! He called me a blood sipper, or a blood…"

"Sucker. A bloodsucker," Bella supplied quietly.

"Yeah, that's it. He said he was there to watch me, to make sure I didn't kill anyone!" Her voice lowered a few octaves, her tone astonished. "He told me he would be watching; that he would stop me if he had to."

"Calli, I didn't ask Jacob to go there to threaten you, I just…" Carlisle tried once again.

"You just asked him to go there because you don't trust me," she said angrily, with the faintest trace of hurt.

"Calli, please listen to me. It's not that I don't trust you. It's that you can't trust yourself right now. You have no real control over what you can do. I just wanted someone there with you, someone to watch and…help you if you ever need it, if you were to lose control. I would have sent one of us with you if I could. But I can't, so I asked Jacob to do it. I didn't think he would be so…hostile," Carlisle explained, sounding genuinely confused.

"What do you mean you didn't think he would be so hostile?" Emmett practically shouted. "He's one of the dogs! He hates us!"

"Calli is different Emmett. She's not a threat like we are."

"And how exactly is he supposed to help me when he can't stand me?" Calli asked, her voice quieter, more dull.

"He will be there Calli, when we can't. He knows about you. If he needs to…intervene, he will."

"I have a feeling his idea of intervening might be a little different than yours."

"He won't hurt you. He will have no reason to. I didn't ask him to watch you because I think you're particularly dangerous. I just don't want you to expose yourself."

"Maybe one of us should go and have a chat with him," Emmett snarled.

"No Emmett. If I need to speak with him, I will...and only me."

"Great. So if this wasn't bad enough I have to put up with _him_ all year. You could have at least told me you were going to do this, you know. I had him in four classes before I even knew who he was!"

"I'm sorry Calli. I probably should have told you. I understand you're upset. But I really do feel this is for the best. You shouldn't be there alone," Carlisle said gently.

"Yeah, it's much better to be there with some guy who probably wants to kill me," she mumbled, turning and going up the stairs.

"We got your car back," Esme called up after her.

"Good, cause there are a few people I plan on making into hood ornaments!" Calli yelled back, slamming her door behind her.

"Well, that went well," Carlisle sighed.

"How could you have expected it to go well? You really thought he wouldn't hate her too?" asked Emmett.

"Alice, what's wrong?" Jasper asked, going to her side. She was still looking out the window at the storm outside.

She turned to face him. "Nothing," she answered, a little dazed.

"Did you see something?" Jasper questioned her.

"No, I didn't see anything." She headed upstairs too. Jasper followed.

"She was so angry," Esme murmured.

"She should be!" exclaimed Emmett.

"Not angry. Hurt," Bella said.

"Yes, I suppose she is hurt," Esme replied thoughtfully.

"It's still necessary," Carlisle said. "She doesn't have control. She needs someone to watch her, at least for now."

"Well, she has more control than she did," Rosalie spoke up.

"What do you mean?" asked Carlisle.

"Well, she was pretty mad, but nothing's broken. She didn't send stuff flying around the room," Rosalie pointed out.

"That's true," said Esme.

"Regardless, this was only one time. When she is around all those humans she needs to be watched. Even if Jacob doesn't like her, he will watch her and make sure nothing happens. I'm sure of that."

"And what if she tries to do something to Jacob?" Edward asked quietly. Bella shot Edward a worried look.

"I don't think that's likely. And Jacob can defend himself."

"Against Calli? Carlisle, you're underestimating her," Edward said.

"I know she is…capable, but she's not that powerful. And even if she were, I don't see her intentionally trying to hurt someone."

"And what about unintentionally? I heard Alice's thoughts Carlisle."

"Did Alice see Calli hurting Jacob?" Bella demanded.

"No. She also didn't see that storm outside coming. Did no one else notice that the day was fairly clear? It came on awfully quick. It wasn't even raining when Alice and Calli drove in."

"You're not saying…" Esme trailed off.

"I'm not saying anything." Edward looked up the stairs. "Alice certainly has her theories though."

* * *

Jacob slammed his car door and walked to the house.

"Hey Jake!" Embry called.

He turned to watch Embry, Quil, and Sam walking toward him.

"That bad, huh?" asked Sam.

"What?"

"I'm guessing your first day watching her went pretty bad by the look on your face," Sam replied.

"Yeah, I guess."

"So did it totally suck?" Embry questioned him.

"It was alright."

"So is it true? Is she really different from the rest of them?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, she is." _More than you'll ever know._ "Her eyes aren't like them. She's not trying to attack anyone. Can't smell her either."

"Can she…do stuff? You know, like witch stuff. She's supposed to be a witch too, right?" Quil asked.

"Well, she wasn't breaking out the cauldron and spell book in the middle of class Quil. I don't know if she can do stuff. She didn't do anything today."

"Man, I'm gonna have to get a look at her. I can't believe it's actually true," Embry muttered.

"So she's behaving herself then?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, it's fine."

"Did you talk to her?" Quil asked.

Jacob remembered the hurt look on her face and felt a horrible pain in his chest. "Just let her know that I was there to watch her. Told her if I ever had to stop her I would."

"Ha! Good," said Embry.

"Jake. Are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to, you know. You can quit now," Sam said quietly.

An easy out. Now that she probably hated him, he could walk away. But he didn't want to. Already the only thing he was looking forward to was seeing her again tomorrow. Nn matter how much she hated him now. "I'm sure. Its fine, I can handle it. I'm gonna head inside guys, I'm kinda tired," he lied.

"Ok. We'll see you later," Sam replied.

"See ya Jake," Embry and Quil both said.

Jacob walked into the house. Billy was sitting watching tv.

"So, how did it go?" he asked.

"Fine dad."

"Carlisle was telling the truth?"

"Yep."

"Are you ok?" Billy asked, sounding a little worried.

"I'm fine; I'm just kind of tired. I think I'm gonna lay down for awhile," he said, and walked to his room, closing the door and dropping himself on the bed.

He laid back and put his arm across his eyes, kicking his shoes off. He kept seeing her face in his mind, changing gradually to that look of anger. He hated that he'd done that to her. It was been torture pretending he hated her for two minutes; he had no idea how he was going to do it every single day. Of course, now she probably hated him, which might make it easier; he doubted she wanted to be anywhere near him now.

But what had she wanted before that? He could see something in her eyes; she felt something. But he didn't know what. It upset him that he might never know. Did she feel something because of the imprint too? He sighed and got up, deciding he would go for a walk. He didn't even try to tell himself to stop thinking about her; he knew he wouldn't.

* * *

Calli walked through the forest. It was dark out, pitch black, but she could see her way clearly. She kept walking, not sure where she was going.

"Calli," the voice called.

She looked around, but saw no one. The voice was familiar though; she had heard it before, but she couldn't place it. She kept walking, slowly, but with purpose; her feet seemed to know something her mind did not. She saw Carlisle up ahead and walked to his side. He looked at her and smiled, then looked over his shoulder briefly, turning back to her. "I can't keep you from him Calli."

"Keep me from who?"

"I want to, but I can't. You're his. That's just the way it is," Carlisle said, and began walking away.

"Carlisle, wait! What are you talking about?"

He looked back at her and smiled. "You'll see soon enough." He turned away, disappearing into the forest.

Her feet took her forward again. She walked past Edward and Bella. Edward was looking at Bella, but Bella was just looking away, in the direction Calli was walking. They said nothing, and Calli continued on. Alice was up ahead, facing away from her.

"Alice?"

"I'm sorry Calli. I can't see you," she replied. Instead of stopping Calli continued walking forward. It was as if she had no control of her feet; they knew where they were going, while she did not. Finally she came to a clearing.

She looked across, and there he was. He smiled, his eyes bright. "I'm waiting for you Calli. You're taking much too long." The voice that was calling her name.

"I don't understand," she said, confused. She took a few steps forward. Not because she wanted to, but rather like he was a magnet, pulling her in.

"You're mine. You need to come to me. You belong with me. You need me," he said smoothly.

"And why would I need you?" a voice asked, coming from the trees. Calli looked over and saw…Calli. Her brow furrowed in confusion. She looked down at herself, making sure she was…herself. She was. She looked up once again, but the other Calli was still there.

"I'm plenty powerful all on my own," the other Calli continued confidently, walking toward the man but stopping several yards away.

"You do need me. And besides, you want me," the man purred to the other Calli, holding his hand out and calling her to him with his index finger.

The other Calli smiled, and walked to him. He grazed her cheek with his hand, and then leaned down and kissed her lightly. He turned to Calli, and smiled.

Calli heard a growl and turned to see Jacob behind her. "Jacob?" she asked, confused.

"Calli!" the man shouted sharply. She turned to look at him again; the other Calli was gone. "Come to me now!" he ordered.

Her feet began walking to him involuntarily. She looked at him with panicked eyes, but he just smiled.

"Calli, no!" Jacob screamed.

Calli woke with a start, gasping. She jumped up and looked around, finding herself in her own room. She sat on the edge of the bed and closed her eyes, trying to make sense of what she had just dreamed. She felt like there was something important she was missing, but she couldn't figure it out. She laid back and closed her eyes, draping her arm across them. She went through each individual part of the dream. It had been insane, that was for sure. The man who attacked her had been calling to her, but she didn't know why.

And she had been drawn to him; she'd wanted to go to him. No, that wasn't exactly true. She hadn't wanted to, rather she felt like she couldn't help but go to him. This…thing who had attacked her; who had essentially killed her, and she had been going to him. But Jacob had been there. He'd screamed at her not to go to him. Why? Why didn't he want her to? And what was he doing there in the first place?

What was it that had been so important in that dream? She knew there was something. _Think. _She lay there, going over it again and again, but coming up with nothing. Then all of a sudden she sat up, gasping once again. She knew what it was that was so important, what she had been trying so desperately to remember.

It was the voice.


	17. Chapter 17 Careful What You Say

**_Disclaimer - The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Calli sat in Government, looking absentmindedly out the window, her chin cupped in her hand. She had no idea what the teacher was discussing today; she hadn't heard a word of it. Her mind continued wandering back to her dreams. She'd been having them for weeks now. They were always different, though they had the same basic ending; she would walk towards the man. She felt that pull, and she would begin to go to him.

But she always woke before she ever got there. Sometimes Jacob was there, and he wouldn't let her go to him. Other times he wasn't there, but she woke anyway. The fact that Jacob was in her dreams so frequently confused her. They 'd hardly said a word to each other since that first day; they usually just glared at each other whenever they happened to catch the other's eye.

But sometimes, Calli would look up and see him, and they would be locked in one of those gazes again. And when that happened, Calli didn't feel like he hated her. She felt…something else. When he looked at her those times, she felt like she wanted to go to him. Like she needed to go to him. But then one of them would narrow their eyes and begin to glare, and the moment was gone.

It made Calli mad that she felt anything but contempt toward him. He had been terrible to her. Carlisle had spoken to Jacob; it hadn't gone very well, but still he told Calli that although it was bothersome, it was necessary for him to be there. Jacob had told Carlisle that he was just there to do a job. That it was his job to watch Calli, and that was all. That he didn't like it, and he certainly didn't need to be nice to her.

But Jacob had made things perfectly clear. He loathed her, and this made her mad. And, as much as she hated to admit it; it hurt her. She didn't know what it was she had felt that first day. What she still felt now, when they weren't glaring at each other. But it was something. Something Calli had never felt before. And to know that he disliked her so much when she felt this way was hurtful, and infuriating. When she wasn't trying to figure out why she felt this way, she was yelling at herself for it.

When she wasn't thinking about the dreams, she was thinking about Jacob. Wondering about him; she hardly knew anything. And of course, that made her even more mad. She felt so conflicted. Like she was two different people. That reminded her again of her dreams. Because in her dreams, there were often two Calli's. Calli would be there, and she was usually silent, scared. But the other Calli was not. She spoke to the man; she looked confident, and she often went to the man without hesitation, while Calli held back, terrified.

The other Calli bothered her a lot. She was…different. Calli could tell that, while she looked like her, she wasn't her. Something about her was very off, and Calli could never really tell what it was. Besides, of course, that the other Calli always went to the man. The dreams scared her. She felt like they were trying to tell her something that she was missing. And then there was the voice. The voice in the dreams, the one belonging to the man, was the same voice that told Calli to lie to Carlisle. She felt like she was going crazy; like she was just creating random things in her head.

And of course, there were those dreams where the man wasn't there at all; the ones where Calli just saw people dying in horrific ways. Those ones never failed to wake her up screaming. She had so many of those that no one even came in anymore; they'd grown used to hearing her screams. She knew she didn't _need_ to sleep, that it wasn't necessary. She wasn't exactly sure why she kept doing it. Maybe just out of habit, or maybe because she was curious; because she wanted to see what these dreams were trying to show her. Or maybe a little of both. But most nights she found herself going to sleep again, and she always had dreams.

Once she had dreamt only of her and Jacob. She was in the forest again, and saw him standing across the clearing that was usually the setting for all her dreams. He waved her over, and she walked to him, stopping just a few feet away. He started to talk, looking like he had something important to say. But it was like he had no voice; his lips moved, but no sound came out. Calli kept telling him that she couldn't hear him, but he just kept trying desperately to talk to her. Then Calli heard loud growls from the forest. She turned, startled, looking where they had come from, but saw nothing. And when she turned back around, Jacob was gone.

The dreams drove her crazy. She didn't know why, but she felt like there had to be some kind of meaning behind them. But she had no idea what. So yes, that was probably the reason she kept sleeping; she needed to know what all of it meant.

"Calli!" Jacob hissed.

She looked over at him, pulled out of her thoughts. "What?" she spat just as icily.

Jacob looked pointedly at her desk top. She looked down to see that her pencil spinning wildly. She grabbed it, glared at Jacob, and then looked away, shoving it in her bag.

This wasn't the first time it had happened. Calli often found that when she was deep in thought, something like that would occur. Unfortunately, it had happened in class more than once, and Jacob had been there each time to point it out, which she absolutely hated. But he was just doing his job, right? Watching her; babysitting her. The bell rang and she stood, shoving her things in her bag and hurrying to the door.

"Maybe you should be more careful," she heard Jacob say behind her.

"Yeah, well maybe you should mind your own business," she said rudely, turning and facing him. No matter how angry she was with him, no matter how hard she tried to make it stop, looking at him, being close to him, always made her feel a little shaky.

His face was calm; it surprised her. But it quickly turned angry. "Maybe you forgot why I'm here."

"Maybe you forgot that I don't give a damn!" she hissed.

"Well you better start! Carlisle would probably be pretty pissed if someone saw your little spinning trick."

Carlisle. He would be mad, Calli knew that. She took a deep breath to calm down. "Whatever," she said indifferently, and walked away. But she stopped after just a few steps, turning toward him. "Maybe you should keep your angry little glares to yourself," she said coldly, raising an eyebrow.

Jacob walked toward her, stopping just a few feet away. "Are you threatening me?" he demanded angrily, being sure to keep his voice down.

She just raised her eyebrow mysteriously again, trying to ignore the heat, the energy she felt between the two of them.

"Don't think for one second that I'm afraid of you! Maybe you've forgotten what I am, what I do," he practically growled, balling his fists at his sides.

"Well maybe you've forgotten what _I_ am, what _I _can do," she said just as angrily.

"You don't scare me. What you can do doesn't scare me. Don't think for a second that it does."

She just smiled sweetly.

Jacob glared and then turned, stomping off in the other direction.

* * *

Jacob stormed into his class and sat down hard in his seat.

He was going crazy. Weeks of this were taking a big toll on him. He caught himself staring at her all the time. She would catch his eye, and he would have to change it to an angry glare. Sometimes he turned and saw her staring at him, and he would have to glare then too. But he didn't want to glare. He wanted to know why she was staring. He wanted to know what she felt, what she was thinking. He wanted to just be able to go up to her and ask her outright. But instead he had to keep being rude to her, keep pretending he hated her.

Of course, it wasn't always so hard to be rude. She was exasperating; she drove him nuts. Today was a perfect example. She had basically threatened him! Who was she to threaten him? That actually did make him angry, and then he hadn't had to pretend. But for the most part he always pretended. And even when he wasn't pretending, even when he was angry at her, he still felt that horrible, all consuming urge to just grab her. And it killed him. The voice that told him he wanted to be with her screamed at him at those times, while the voice that told him he couldn't was appeased.

He spent the whole period thinking about it, and the next one too. Finally the bell rang and he walked out of class. He rounded the corner and saw what he saw most days around this time; Chris and Calli. No matter how many times he saw it, he still got just as angry, and he fought to control the tremors he could feel starting. Chris was smiling at Calli, that cocky smile that Jacob wanted to wipe off his face on a daily basis.

"Look Chris. You seem like a really…nice guy," Calli began, almost choking on the words. Jacob had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing at her obvious lie. "But the truth is, I don't date…anyone. Ever. And I don't plan on starting now." She started to walk away, toward the library, where she spent most of her lunch hours.

"That's just because you never met me before," Chris said, darting in front of her and smiling, stopping her in her tracks.

"I really don't think so," she mumbled, going around him and continuing her walk to the library.

"You're gonna change your mind. You'll see," he called after her, turning toward the cafeteria when Calli disappeared into the library. He stopped when he saw Jacob standing there.

"What are you staring at? You gonna tell me to stay away from her again?" Chris asked snidely.

"Nope, looks like she's doing a pretty good job of staying away from _you_, man. Can't you take a hint?" Jacob said, snickered.

"Well, she talks to me a hell of a lot more than she talks to you, doesn't she?" Chris smirked, shrugging. "I guess we'll just see where things take us." He walked away, looking over his shoulder to give Jacob one last smirk.

Jacob wanted now more than ever to go wipe that look off his face. But he didn't. He went into the cafeteria, got his food, and sat down alone once again. He hadn't had too much trouble sitting alone at lunch. The guys were all mostly terrified of him, and didn't approach him. Some girls had tried, but caught on pretty quickly that he wasn't interested.

Except for Katie. She came to try and sit by him sometimes, smiling big and laughing at things he said that weren't even funny, flipping her hair over her shoulder and giving him unmistakable looks. Luckily she didn't come over every day, and when she did he usually came up with an excuse why he had to get out of there. But today it looked like she would remain with her table of snobby friends.

Calli almost never came into the cafeteria. Jacob knew Carlisle had spoken to her, because now she sometimes came, bought food, and sat there, picking at it until the bell rang and she could throw it all away. A lot more people went and attempted to sit with her, but she tried her best to brush them all off. Some people took a little more effort than others. People just seemed very drawn to her. It kind of surprised Jacob that she seemed to want so desperately to be alone. Of course, she was different, but she could get away with being around people and not raising suspicion. She must have been popular back home. She was supposedly an amazing dancer.

He'd found out that was the reason Katie hated her; she was captain of the dance team, and she was afraid Calli was trying to steal her position. Everyone was shocked that she wasn't dancing on the team here. People who had seen her dance; and apparently there were a lot of them here, thought she could turn the dance team around, which apparently wasn't the best. But despite all of the girl's best efforts, Calli refused their offers with no explanation. All the girls but Katie, of course. She had made it very clear to Calli how much she disliked her more than once.

Jacob never really had any desire to hit a girl until he saw the way Katie treated Calli. It amazed him how hostile he felt toward her when she was rude to Calli. Of course, he never said anything, or did anything, but it made him crazy. He had seen the look in Calli's eyes when Katie would say things to her, and he could tell she was restraining herself. Sometimes he almost wished she would just do something.

The bell rang then, and he got up to throw away his trash and head to the gym, passing Chris and 'accidentally' jabbing him with his elbow. Chris turned, an angry look on his face, looking like he was ready to say something; but when he saw Jacob, standing so close, he just glared, saying nothing. Jacob smirked and went to change, going out to the gym floor. He was careful not to look around, afraid he would catch Calli's eye.

When gym was over he made his way to chemistry. He dreaded this class. Calli was there, so he had to try not to look at her. That wasn't the worst part though. The teacher had just reassigned everyone's seats last week. Katie sat right next to him. And Chris sat next to Calli. He wasn't sure which one made him angrier. They were given instructions for a lab and Jacob and Katie got the supplies they would need, then went back to sit at their table and begin.

"So Jacob," Katie began in a tone Jacob recognized well by now; she was very flirtatious. "We're gonna go up to first beach this weekend. I was hoping you would come with us," she said with a big smile.

Before he could refuse she started again. "I just hope Chris isn't planning on asking Calli," she raised her voice, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Calli's kind of a loser, don't you think?" She threw a glance in Calli's direction. Calli's face was like stone, no expression. "Anyways, I really want you there though."

"I don't think…" He was interrupted by one of the beakers sitting on their table as it fell over, spilling the water it held into Katie's lap.

Katie jumped up, gasping. "What the hell?" she yelled, looking down at her now wet pants.

He had to work hard to suppress a laugh. She had it coming, but he knew Calli shouldn't have done it. Or rather, he was supposed to know that, being her babysitter and all, so he threw her a glare. As soon as her eyes met his she looked down, concentrating hard on the items she had in front of her.

"What's going on over there Katie?" Mr. Barnes demanded.

"I…don't know!" Katie wailed. "The beaker just fell over and spilled in my lap!"

"Well, get yourself cleaned up and continue your lab."

"I really don't think I should have to do it now!" she cried, looking down once again at her wet clothing.

"If you don't do the lab you take a zero Katie; up to you."

Katie glared at him, then stormed over to the counters, grabbing a handful of paper towels and soaking as much water from her clothes as she could. She refilled her beaker and walked back to their table, slamming it down and sitting in her seat.

"Did you see how that happened?" she asked Jacob shrilly.

And the beaker fell over again.

"Aggghhh!" Katie screamed.

"Katie!" Mr. Barnes scolded.

Jacob looked over at Calli to see she was coughing hard, turning her head away. Katie ran quickly out of the room. Mr. Barnes stood at the front of the class, watching Katie leave and shaking his head. Then he turned back and looked at Calli, concerned. "Calli, are you alright?" he asked as her coughing continued.

Calli coughed a couple more times and looked up at him, clearing her throat and waving her hand. "Yeah, I'm fine. Air just…went down the wrong way," she said with another small cough.

"Now will someone please go check on Katie?"

Jacob suppressed another laugh while trying his hardest to look harshly at Calli. Calli just started coughing again.

* * *

Carlisle burst through the front door, looking angry. Bella and Emmett just watched in confusion, while Edward snickered and shook his head.

Then Jacob walked in right behind him. Edward looked at Bella; she went rigid, just staring at Jacob. But Jacob paid no attention to her.

"Calli!" Jacob bellowed angrily.

"Calli, come down here now!" Carlisle yelled up the stairs.

Edward laughed and Carlisle just glared at him, while Jacob kept his eyes on the stairs waiting for Calli to come down.

"What's going on?" Emmett demanded.

For a moment all his anger disappeared while he started at her at the top of the stairs. Then he remembered why he was there and his anger returned. "What the hell did you do to my car?" he demanded.

"I'm sorry?" she asked sweetly.

"Don't give me that crap! I know you did it! What do you think gives you the right to mess with my stuff?"

Calli's smile quickly turned to anger. "What makes you think you have a right to talk to me that way? Maybe next time you'll think twice," she spat, glaring at him.

Emmett was howling behind them. Edward walked to his side. "Wait, it gets better," he muttered.

"What did you do? Just fix the damn thing!" Jacob shouted

"Calli, he's right; you need to go and fix his car. Come on." Carlisle said stonily.

"I don't need to go there to fix it."

"What?"

"I can do it from here," she replied nonchalantly.

"From here. That far…you can fix it from that far away?" Carlisle asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"How do you know that?" Carlisle demanded.

"I just know. Your car is fixed Jacob. Next time maybe you should watch how you talk to me." They just glared at each other, then Calli turned to walk back upstairs.

"Not so fast Calli…come down here."

Calli sighed and paused, then turned back around and walked down the stairs. Jacob stared the whole time, finding he couldn't pull his eyes away. She stopped at the bottom. "What?"

"Being discreet about your…abilities does not mean dumping beakers of water into a girl's lap from across the room," Carlisle lectured angrily.

"What!" Emmett hooted with laughter. "Whose lap?" he demanded.

Calli smiled slightly. "Katie Mallory."

"That's funny!" he bellowed, slapping his knee and shaking his head. Carlisle turned to glare at him. "That's not funny," Emmett amended, making his voice somber.

When Carlisle turned he chuckled again quietly, shaking his head. Even Bella smiled a little.

"You cannot do things like that Calli!" Carlisle ordered.

"Well, I could've turned her into a hood ornament like I suggested, but I thought that would be a little more obvious," Calli said, unconcerned.

"This is serious Calli. Doing things like that is dangerous! And very childish!"

"So is talking about people you don't even know," she retorted, looking Jacob straight in the eye.

All of a sudden Jacob understood. Calli thought he had been talking about her with Katie. He wanted to speak up, to tell her he hadn't, but he didn't dare.

"Whatever happened, whatever she may have done, you can't do those kinds of things Calli. You're putting yourself at risk. Don't you see that?" Carlisle said more gently.

She sighed loudly. "Yeah, I guess. I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

"Please make sure you don't."

Calli looked over at Jacob. They just stared at each other for a minute, then he turned to go out the door. Calli went upstairs without a word.

Carlisle heaved a sigh and walked upstairs after her. Emmett made his way into the kitchen, still laughing.

Edward looked at Bella, who was frozen in place. He walked to her. Bella?" he asked with concern in his voice.

She slowly turned to look at him. "He's still imprinted to her," she murmured, sounding dazed, and walked away.


	18. Chapter 18 Painful Sight

**_Disclaimer - The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

"Hey Jake," Sam called from behind him. Jacob looked up and saw Sam walking down the path to the garage.

"Hey Sam," he greeted, putting down the parts he was inspecting and wiping off his hands. "What's up?"

"Not much. Just came to talk, you know…see how you're doing."

"I'm fine…you know that. It's only been a day."

"No Jake, I don't know that." Sam pulled a crate over and sat down. "The last few months, since you've been watching…Calli, something's different. You don't seem depressed anymore, like you were with Bella, but you don't seem ok either. What's going on with you? We hardly even see you…you don't patrol, you don't phase at all."

"Nothing's going on Sam. I'm just doing what I'm supposed to be doing."

"You should be living Jake. I don't think you're doing that. It's like you just go one day to another, not because you want to, because you have no other choice. Is it Bella?"

_Bella._ It amazed him that he never really thought about her anymore. He cared about her, he wanted her to be ok. He still didn't want her to be changed; which she hadn't yet, much to his surprise. But she never occupied his thoughts.

"Yeah, I guess," he lied.

"You've seen her a few times now, since you've been watching Calli, right?"

"Yeah, a couple times."

"That was one of the reasons that I thought maybe you shouldn't do this, although I didn't say anything. I didn't want you to be running into her all the time." Sam paused. "You know, maybe Calli doesn't need to be watched anymore. She doesn't seem to be a danger to anyone, and you said her control has gotten a lot better. Maybe you can just come back to school here."

Jacob knew he wouldn't leave Calli. It had been two months now, two months since that last fight, and now they didn't speak at all. They still caught each other staring all the time. But they wouldn't talk to each other. Jacob thought maybe that made things better and worse all at the same time.

"I'm gonna stay. Better to be safe than sorry. Besides, like you said, we get to keep an eye on all of them this way. That helps, right?"

"Yeah, it does. Nice to have an eye on them," Sam agreed as he stood. "Jake, if you need to talk to me I'm here. And I want you to talk to me." He turned to walk away.

Jacob debated for a minute.

"Sam, wait," he called after him. Sam turned and just looked at Jacob. "Wanna take a walk?"

"Yeah, sure," he smiled.

They walked along the beach in silence. Jacob finally spoke. "Sam…"

"What is it?"

"I want to talk to you about…imprinting," he began hesitantly.

"Ok."

"You imprinted, so you know what it feels like. But what if…what if you had to stay away from Emily? What if you couldn't be with her?"

"It wouldn't have been possible," Sam said simply.

"What do you mean?"

"I know how strong the feelings I have for Emily are…if you can even call it that. But it's so much more. What I feel for her pulls me to her every day. What I feel for her is stronger than I am. I would never have been able to stay away from her. If I had…maybe I wouldn't have hurt Leah the way I did." He looked down at the ground.

Leah. Jacob didn't even want to hear her name. She had been particularly annoying lately. She came to see him all the time, to the point where Jacob had started asking Billy to lie for him. She always wanted to hang out, to talk. He didn't even want to be near her. But she really couldn't take a hint. He had told her over and over that it was no big deal that he saved her, that she didn't owe him anything. But she had just laughed and started annoying him with something else.

"But what if you had no choice?"

"That's the thing. Imprinting's not about choice. It's something inside of us, something primal, a part of us that's different from everyone else. People don't choose to fall in love…it's something that just happens. But they choose to be with each other. Imprinting isn't like that. It's already chosen for us. Fighting it would be like fighting the need to breathe…that's how big a part of you it becomes."

"What if there was no way you could be with that person? What if they…" he thought quickly. "Died or something?"

"I guess I don't really know. I've been with Emily since I imprinted. And I can't imagine what it would be like if I weren't. She's all I see, she's all I really know." He fell silent fr a minute. "You can't force it Jake."

"Huh?"

"You can't force the imprint. You can't make it happen. I know you haven't imprinted on Bella, and you can't make it happen. It's just not our choice."

He was just relieved that Sam thought he was talking about Bella. "I know that. I guess I just…don't really understand imprinting," he lied.

"I don't really think it's meant to be understood. Even when it happens, you don't really understand it. But I do believe it's the path we were meant to take. Even if it doesn't always seem that way. It killed me to hurt Leah that way. But I had no choice. Emily is my destiny. When you imprint, if you imprint, that will be your destiny too…even if it's not with who you might think you want it to be."

"What if you'd imprinted on someone else? Someone that…people couldn't understand, that they couldn't imagine you with…that they said you couldn't be with, that you weren't allowed to be with?"

"It's not for anyone else to understand. It's only about you and them. No one else matters when it comes to that."

Jacob let out a big breath, running his hands over his face and back through his hair.

"Tell me what's going on with you Jake."

He sighed again. "I can't. I wish I could, believe me, I do. But I can't."

"Yes, you can, you just don't want to. Whatever it is, I won't judge…I won't criticize."

Jacob actually considered telling him. He'd held this in for months, and it was just trying to jump at any chance to get out. He imagined telling Sam the whole thing, finally explaining it to someone.

"I guess I just can't seem to get over Bella. Harder than I thought it would be," he mumbled.

* * *

Calli was walking in the forest again. She reached the clearing and looked around, expecting to see the man, but he wasn't there. She walked around slowly, turning in every direction. She began to walk away when she heard the voice.

"Calli."

Calli turned and saw…Calli. Other Calli. She saw her in most of her dreams, but they had never spoken to each other. The other Calli usually just went on lik she wasn't there, not even sparing her a glance. Calli approached her slowly, stopping just a few feet away. They stared and for awhile, then without a word began circling one another.

"Stop," other Calli suddenly commanded.

Calli stopped. "Where is he?" she asked.

"Don't worry…he'll be here. He's getting impatient you know. He wants you to come to him."

"Why? Why does he want me?"

"You are his. That's just the way it is," she replied, mirroring Carlisle's answer.

"I don't want to go to him."

"Then what do you want Calli?"

"I…I don't know."

"Well, you might want to figure that out." There was a rustling in the brush. Other Calli turned to look, then came over to whisper in Calli's ear. "Your day is coming. You need to be ready."

"I don't understand any of this."

"You will. You just have to know where to look." Other Calli pointed behind Calli, and she turned to see Carlisle there. As soon as she met his eyes he disappeared. And when she turned back other Calli was gone.

She immediately began feeling that pull that she normally felt, and walked deeper into the forest. All of a sudden something grabbed her arm. She turned to see Jacob there.

He started pulling her furiously in the opposite direction. "You can't go that way, come on!" he said desperately.

"Jacob, I…"

"Hurry!"

"Stop!" she yelled and pulled her arm free.

"I won't let you go to him!"

"You won't have a choice," came the smooth voice.

They both turned to see the man approaching, smiling at them. Jacob pushed Calli behind him, shielding her with his body.

The man shook his head. "Don't you understand? She belongs to me. She will come to me."

Calli stepped out from behind Jacob's arms. "And what if I don't want to come to you?" she asked timidly

"Then I will just have to kill you," he said with a grin.

Calli's body flew through the air, slamming roughly into a tree.

* * *

Calli shot up in bed, looking around to find that she was of course in her own room, not the forest. She sat up and closed her eyes, running her hands over her face and breathing deeply. Then she got up and started getting ready.

She'd spent most of the Christmas break trying to analyze the dreams. They felt like they were getting more intense; like they were trying so hard to show her something she just wasn't seeing. But she had come up with nothing. And, of course, she'd thought of Jacob. It had been two weeks since she'd seen him. They hadn't really spoken at all since the day with his car, but she still saw him almost every day. Being away from him for this long; well, it had been awful. She tried to tell herself that she didn't miss him, that she didn't want to see him, but she knew it was a lie. It was sad that even though he hated her she still wanted to be around him so desperately.

Her mind went back to the dream she had just woken from. This one scared her more than the others. The man had never threatened her in the dreams. When he said he would kill her, she had felt a kind of fear like none other.

She finished getting ready in a sort of daze and went downstairs to find Carlisle, Esme, and Alice seated in the living room.

"Good morning," Esme said brightly.

"Morning," Calli mumbled distractedly. Her mind was split between the dream and her anticipation of seeing Jacob again.

"Did you sleep?" Carlisle asked.

"Yeah."

"Well?"

"It was fine," she lied. "I'll see you guys later." She headed out the door and got into her beat up SUV. Carlisle kept offering to get her something new, but she always refused. She loved her car, and she had bought it herself. She was proud of that.

"Something's going on," Alice said.

"What do you mean?" asked Esme.

"Calli has dreams every night. I hear her, she tosses and turns and mumbles sometimes. I think they're scaring her."

"She hasn't woken up screaming in quite awhile," Carlisle pointed out.

"No, but something is upsetting her. What if the dreams she's having are real…prophecy or something? If she has all these other abilities, then it's possible."

"I suppose it is, but she's never told me that anything specific happens. She just says she sees the vampire who attacked her."

"Well, maybe she's not telling you the whole truth."

"Why would she do that?"

"I don't know. All I know is that something feels wrong. I think there's more to those dreams than she admits."

* * *

Jacob got out of his car and hurried to class. He got to the door just as the bell rang. He walked into class, and finally his world seemed to make sense again. There she was, in the back of the classroom, staring out the window, looking distracted. He actually breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her; he felt like it had been years. He kept staring, almost willing her to stare back, but she only continued to look out the window. He went and took his seat.

Seeing her was a physical release. He felt most of the tension leave his body. He wanted to go to her so badly. He thought of what Sam had said- 'It wouldn't have been possible'.

Sam himself had said he wouldn't have been strong enough to stay away from Emily. What if Jacob wasn't supposed to stay away from her? _You weren't supposed to let her get bit in the first place. _He cringed as that thought hit him for what must have been the thousandth time. But she had been bitten. And he was still imprinted to her. Didn't that mean she was still his destiny?

"Alright class, if you remember, I told you we'd be having a quiz your first day back," the teacher said with a smile. "I hope you're all prepared." He walked around the room, handing out papers..

Jacob looked back in time too see the teacher put Calli's quiz on her desk. She finally tore her gaze from the window and looked down at the paper in confusion. Then her eyes widened. Apparently she'd remembered about as well as Jacob.

"Get started," the teacher ordered.

Jacob turned his attention to the questions on the paper. He answered the few he knew and then just stared, trying to force the answers he didn't know to come. He turned back and stole a glance at Calli, who was looking around at everyone else in the class, a strange look on her face, like she was trying to decide something very difficult. He turned forward again before her eyes met his.

He kept staring at his paper, his head resting in one hand and the other tapping the pencil against his desk. A few minutes later he heard a sound that almost made his heart stop; a gasp, and then a sound of pain. He swung around; Calli was hunched over, her head in her hands. Her whole body shook, her eyes squeezed shut tightly.

"Calli, are you alright?" the teacher asked, standing.

"May I please…be excused," she choked out in barely more than a whisper.

"Of course, go," he said quickly, looking concerned.

Calli jumped up and darted out of the room. Jacob just barely hesitated before jumping up to follow her.

"Jacob, what are you…"

But he didn't hear the rest. He was out of the classroom before the teacher finished. His eyes scanned the hallway looking for Calli. She was slumped against the wall, her head still in her hands, shaking. Her head was moving back and forth and she kept saying 'stop'. Then she cried out in pain.

"Calli!" He rushed over to her. "What's wrong, what is it What happened?"

"Can't…can't make it…stop," she practically panted, her eyes lifting to meet his. They were terrified, and full of pain. Jacob reached out, then hesitated. Finally he put his hand on her cheek.

It was cold, but not quite as cold as he had expected. And amazingly it was…soft. Her skin didn't feel like marble, like the others. His heart started racing as soon as he touched he. She just stared into his eyes for a minute, then cried out again. She closed her eyes and said 'stop' again, louder this time.

Whatever was happening to her seemed to stop. She stopped shaking and stood up straight, but her eyes still looked terrified when she opened them. She just stared at Jacob, and he stared right back, his hand still on her cheek. She took a small step toward him, but seemed to catch herself and stopped moving. Jacob reveled in the fact that he was finally touching her. The voice that usually told him to stay away from her was absent, and he didn't miss it one bit.

Finally Calli pulled back slightly, and he let his hand drop. They stared for another moment before he spoke up. "What was that?"

She just stared, looking like she was debating, before she answered. "I…I opened my mind…to the class, to get the answers to the test." At this she looked down at the floor, ashamed. "All…all the voices must have just hurt me. My head, I mean."

His eyes narrowed skeptically. "Not buying it. Something you saw upset you. What was it?"

Calli refused to meet his gaze. "I didn't see anything."

"You looked like you were about to die. That wasn't just because of all the voices. What was it?" he demanded again.

"Nothing!" She looked up at him. He could see she was still scared, but that she also wasn't going to tell him anything. He thought about just walking away; he knew that would probably be best. But he just couldn't do it.

"Do you want me to take you home?"

Her eyes darted back to his, then away again quickly. "No, I think I'll be ok."

She started back toward the classroom. Jacob just stood there for a minute before following.

* * *

Calli tried her best to make the images she had seen go away. When she opened her mind she had been assaulted by the man's voice screaming at her. She could barely make out what he was saying, but she knew she heard 'come to me' just like she always did in her dreams. But the worst had been the images of the girl she had seen being tortured…by him. She was bloody and screaming…and young. Calli had seen many people dying in her dreams before. But this was the first time she had seen him killing someone. And, of course, she was wide awake this time.

But making the images go away was nothing compared to trying to forget how she had felt when Jacob touched her. It was almost contradictory. His touch had gotten her so worked up she felt like she would go crazy. Like she was bursting out of her skin. And at the same time it had calmed her, it had given her…the strength, if that's what you could call it, to close her mind off. His hand had been incredibly warm.

When he was touching her and looking into her eyes, it had been almost impossible not to just lean into him, She now knew that she had wanted that for a very long time, to just be held, comforted, by him. There had been no hate, no animosity, no anger between them. It was the first time they had even spoken in so long. Walking away from him then had been one of the hardest things she'd ever done.

But while she relished in those feelings, they terrified her all at the same time. This was the first time she'd really had any feelings for anyone. And they were so intense. Calli felt things between them that she didn't think should be quite so strong, even if they were all new to her. The bell rang for lunch and she stood slowly, almost as if in a daze, and made her way to the cafeteria to pretend to eat.

"Hey Calli!"

Calli turned to see Jaqie running up to her. Surprisingly Calli didn't dislike Jaqie as much as she thought she would. She hung out with people Calli mostly couldn't stand, but Jaqie wasn't like the rest of them. She was sweet, and real. She seemed to only be friends with those people by default. But she wasn't mean and rude like Calli had expected. Of course, she was almost always with Katie and obviously had a huge crush on Chris, but other than that Calli couldn't find anything she didn't like.

"Hey Jaqie."

"Hey! How was your break?"

"It was fine. Pretty uneventful. What's up?"

"Well…look, I know I've asked you this like, a hundred times but…we really need your help. Our dance team could…use some improvement, and competitions are coming up soon, and…I really really want you to help us," she said quickly.

"Jaqie, I…"

"I know you don't really want to be on a dance team now, and that Katie has…issues with you, but, well, I talked to all the other girls, and most of them have seen some of your stuff too, and they all agree that we could use your help. And I'm the co captain and I have a say too, and so do all the other girls. And you don't even have to be on the team if you don't want to, you can just help, or choreograph, or whatever, and we would really appreciate…" Jaqie went on before she was interrupted.

"Jaqie, you're not wasting your time again on Calli are you?" Katie said, walking up with her signature sweet smile. "Haven't you figured it out yet? Calli's all washed up. She wasn't even that great to begin with." She flipped her hair back and gave Calli an exaggerated smirk.

Calli gritted her teeth. Katie had said a lot of things to her, but she had never insulted her dancing, and Calli had a very strong urge to punch her in the face. Instead she did something that would hurt her even more.

"I'll do it."

"Really?!" Jaqie cried.

Katie just stood there, eyes widening, mouth setting into a hard line.

"Yeah," she said, turning to smile at Jaqie. She turned back to Katie. "And by the way, green really isn't your color." And with that Calli turned and walked away.


	19. Chapter 19 Dance Team

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my stroy, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Jacob got dressed in his uniform and went out to the gym floor, waiting for the teacher to tell them what they were doing for the day.

"Alright everyone, free day. Enjoy!" he yelled, and went over to talk to the girl's teacher. Jacob just stood there, looking around.

He saw Calli make her way to the bleachers to sit. Chris followed and stood there talking to her, wearing his annoying cocky smile. Jacob began making his way in their direction.

"…a lot of fun," he heard as he walked up. "Come on, you at least have to give me a chance. I promise you won't be disappointed." He flashed Calli a big grin.

"Look, Chris…" Calli began.

"I won't take no for an answer," he interrupted her.

"Man, you just can't take a hint, can you?"

Chris turned to glare at Jacob. "In case you couldn't tell, Calli and I were having a private conversation."

Jacob saw Calli roll her eyes and grinned.

"I wouldn't really call it a conversation. More like a rejection," Jacob chuckled.

"You think she'd rather be talking to you?" Chris sneered.

"Well, why don't we just ask her," Jacob said, turning his eyes to Calli.

"Sorry, I don't think I have enough testosterone to participate in this conversation," she said sarcastically.

"Let me give you a tip. When a girl rejects you over and over, it might be time to move on," Jacob said with a big smile.

Chris took a few steps forward, his fists balled at his side.

"Just give me a reason…go ahead," Jacob growled, taking a step closer.

"Hey," Calli said, getting up and standing between them, having to look up into both their faces. She put a hand on each one of their chests, pushing them further apart. "Give it a rest, ok. Chris, why don't you go take a walk."

Chris just glared at Jacob, then looked to Calli and smiled. "We'll continue this later," he said with a wink, and walked away.

Jacob stood there, looking down at Calli, her hand still placed on his chest. He could feel his heart thumping at her touch. He felt lightheaded. She stared up at him, and he knew she felt it too. Finally she shook her head slightly and stepped back quickly, removing her hand and sitting back down. He took a minute to compose himself before speaking.

"I think I might rip his eyes out just so I don't have to see that wink again."

"Get in line," Calli mumbled.

"Why don't you just tell him to get lost?" Jacob questioned, sitting down, being sure to keep his distance.

"Either he doesn't understand the word 'no', or he really does think he's the best thing ever. Whichever one, he just doesn't get that I'm not interested."

"Well, maybe he'll have a better idea now," he said, grinning.

There was silence for a few minutes, until Jacob spoke up. "Calli, what…"

"What are you doing?" Calli said at the same time.

"Huh?"

"You've hardly said two words to me since we've known each other…you made it pretty clear that you hated me. Why are you talking to me now?"

"I don't hate you Calli," he said quietly.

"Could've fooled me."

They were silent again. "Do you really think that was the best idea?"

"What?"

"Saying you'd join the dance team. Probably not the best way to not stand out."

Calli sighed. "Yeah, I know. But I'm not really joining. Just helping them out. Besides, what else am I gonna do? I'm bored out of my mind. Watching Katie's face was pretty fun too," she added with a big smile.

It was the first time Jacob had ever seen her smile like that. It took his breath away. For that moment she looked truly happy. He wanted to see that smile every day.

"Carlisle probably won't like it."

"Well, he'll just have to deal with it. Nobody thinks I'm different. I don't look like the rest of them. It's not like I'm gonna slaughter the team. Well, not all of them."

Not different? She was different, she was amazing; like a bright flower in the middle of a field full of weeds. He wasn't the only one who noticed her, though he was sure no one noticed her quite the way he did. He just looked at her.

"Joke…I'm not gonna slaughter any of them," she said, rolling her eyes. He was glad that she didn't know what he was really thinking. "Anyways, it will give me something to do after school."

"Well, me too I guess."

Her face got serious. "You know, you don't have to keep watching me. I think I've made it pretty obvious that I'm not dangerous. Do you really think I'm going to hurt someone?" she questioned him, looking him in the eye.

He just sat staring, not responding. They stared for awhile, until Jacob finally broke the gaze. When he did he realized he had been leaning in toward her. And she had leaned toward him too. They both straightened up.

"It's just my job," he said, glad that she thought the only reason he wanted to be there was so she didn't hurt anyone.

She didn't respond.

"Tell me what happened today Calli," he said quietly.

"I don't know what you mean," she replied quickly.

"You saw something, I know you did. What was it?" he stared into her eyes, trying to will her to answer him.

She said nothing, just looked right back at him. Finally she spoke up. "It's just…stuff from dreams," she said, then caught herself like she hadn't meant to say anything.

"You sleep?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"So what are you saying, you had a dream in class? You weren't sleeping."

"No, but maybe I had a daydream or something. Or I was just remembering something from a dream I had."

"That must have been a pretty bad dream. You looked scared to death. Besides, why did it only happen then, when you went to read someone's mind?"

"I don't know."

"Well maybe you should talk to Carlisle about it."

"It's not that big of a deal," she mumbled.

Jacob wanted to talk more about it but decided to keep his mouth shut. Already he felt himself getting way too comfortable with her, and he knew that wasn't a good thing.

The teacher yelled for them to change then. Jacob looked at Calli. They stared for a moment, then began walking away towards each of the locker rooms.

He was walking away, still had her in his sight, and he already missed her. Being that close, talking to her for that long, had been amazing. He wanted to spend every day for the rest of his life with her like that. He tried to shake those thoughts from his head and kept walking.

Chemistry passed without incident, and Jacob watched Calli go to the gym after class. He followed her and saw the girls from the dance team there. As soon as they saw Calli walk in they all began to lean in and whisper to each other. Calli just stood back.

Soon Jaqie walked in with Katie behind her. Katie kept shooting dirty looks at Calli, but she wasn't even paying attention. Jaqie walked over to a tv and put a dvd in the player. Katie went and sat on the first bleacher, trying to look disinterested.

Jacob went and sat in the middle of the bleachers, leaning back and putting his feet up. Calli looked back at him, and he gave her a small smile.

"Ok you guys, listen. So Calli agreed that she would help us. We had a…mostly unanimous vote that we wanted her help," Jaqie said, shooting a glance at Katie. "So she agreed to help us with choreography and stuff, but she's not actually joining."

As Jaqie talked people started walking in. It must have spread fast that Calli was going to be with the dance team; it was obvious they were all watching her. Jacob saw Chris walk in and felt a small growl building in his chest. When Calli saw Chris he smiled, but she just turned away from him. That made Jacob feel a little better.

"Ummm…" Jaqie said, looking around at the people that had entered the gym, "most of you have seen Calli dance before I think, at competitions and stuff, but I have a…a video here so if you haven't you can see some of her stuff." Jaqie shot a look at Calli, who was slowly making her way to the tv. "Sorry Calli, I hope you don't mind."

Calli smiled at her. "It's ok."

"So anyways, I'm just gonna show you guys the video, and then we can…begin, I guess." Jaqie picked up the remote and hit a button.

The video came on the screen and music began, then Jacob saw a group of girls enter from the side of the stage on the tv. He squinted and could barely make out that the girl in the front of all the rest was Calli, wearing some kind of black and red outfit. Then they started dancing.

Except for the music there was complete silence. Some of the girls' mouths were slightly open, staring at the screen, unmoving. Every eye was on the screen. Jacob stood and slowly made his way down the steps, never taking his eyes from Calli dancing.

He hadn't ever seen anyone move that way. Her movements were perfect. The girls dancing around her were definitely talented too, but she stood out. She was fluid and in perfect rhythm. And she looked so…happy. Like she would rather be there doing that than doing anything else in the world.

That clip ended and another came on. Here she was dancing in a larger group, and each girl was dancing with a guy, including Calli. Jacob didn't even know the guy and he already hated him. Calli was completely in the moment, and her and the guy moved in perfect synch with each other.

That clip ended and there were several more on the video. Calli was almost always in the front, and she was always amazing. She never missed a step and her body looked so natural doing it, like that's what she was made to do. The video ended and everyone just kept staring, some choosing to turn their gazes to Calli and stare. Even Katie looked slightly awed; though it was obvious she was trying to conceal it.

Jacob looked over at Calli to see that she had a smile on her face. It was obvious how much she loved dancing.

Jaqie finally tore her eyes from the screen and looked at the other girls. "Yeah, so you can see she's pretty good," Jaqie said, sounding a little dazed.

The other girls all started talking at once, praising Calli and looking at her with admiration. Jacob saw Katie cross her arms, an angry look coming over her face.

"So anyways, she's gonna help us out, and she agreed to start today, so I'm just gonna let her kind of…take over," Jaqie continued, glancing wearily at Katie. "So…go ahead Calli."

Calli walked up to where Jaqie was standing and looked at the girls. She stole a glance at Jacob, whose face still looked slightly amazed, but quickly looked away. "Ok, well, first; uh, maybe some people should leave," she said timidly, looking around at everyone. "We really don't need such a big audience for a practice."

People reluctantly started leaving the gym, looking back at Calli one more time before they left. Several of them were whispering to each other.

Jacob saw Chris go to the bleachers on the opposite side and sit. Jacob glared at him, but Chris wouldn't meet his eyes. He went back and sat where he had originally been before the video started.

"Umm, ok...well I guess the first thing is…I should see you guys dance. Do you have something you can do real quick?"

"Yeah, I thought you would probably say that," Jaqie said. She ran to the other side of the gym to grab a radio and brought it back, plugging it in and putting in a cd. "We already have something ready."

The girls began standing and making their way nervously out to the middle of the floor. Jaqie called Chris over and asked him to work the radio. He finally looked up at Jacob and glared. Jacob grinned and waved at him.

Jaqie went out with the rest of the girls; all but Katie. Jaqie looked at her and sighed. "Katie, are you coming?"

"I don't need Calli to critique me, I already know how good I am," she said with her fake sweet smile.

"Fine," Jaqie said. She looked around at the other girls. "Are you ready?" The other girls nodded.

"Ok Chris, go ahead."

* * *

Calli walked around the girls as they danced, watching each of them carefully. Jaqie was by far the best. Some of the other girls were pretty talented. But they all looked off. None were in step; in fact they all seemed to be about a second off from the person to their right; they were watching the others and moving on cue from them instead of the music. It made it so each of them was doing a different step at the same time.

Some looked too stiff, while others looked so loose they had no form. Almost all of their faces were so serious it looked like they were at a funeral; nobody looked like they were enjoying themselves. When they changed positions it didn't seem to flow together, almost like they were beginning a new routine.

Only Jaqie ever seemed to be in time with the music. During the steps that were done very quickly their feet seemed to stomp instead of shuffle, making it look awkward and ruining the rhythm even more. When anything was done with their arms they seemed to flop around instead of having any kind of shape. The song ended and Calli came back around to the front.

Jaqie stepped away and caught her breath. "Ok, so…what do you think?" she asked, looking at Calli.

Calli was silent.

"We want to know what you really think. We want your opinion, even if it's not so great," Jaqie added on.

"Uh…ok. How often do you guys practice?" Calli asked almost hesitantly.

"Monday, Wednesday, and Friday."

"Do you guys want to go to state?"

"Not state…an open competition."

"Ok, you need to do practices five days a week."

The girls looked around at each other, then up at Jaqie. Jaqie nodded. "Ok, I think we can do that."

"We don't need to practice five days a week," Katie said snidely.

"Look, Calli's here to help us. If you don't like it, maybe you should leave," Jaqie retorted.

Calli smiled. Katie just looked at Jaqie with surprise, folding her arms and leaning back, looking away from them all.

"How long do you practice?"

"Two hours."

"You should up it to three," Calli said looking at her. Jaqie nodded.

"Ok, now as for the actual dancing," Calli began, looking at Jaqie, who nodded once again, "it needs work. A lot of work. Uh, and some new choreography."

"But you can help with choreography, right?"

"Yeah," Calli answered, relieved that Jaqie wasn't angry about what she had said.

"So, what do we need to do?"

"Well…umm, do me a favor. Do it again." Jaqie just looked at her. "Just do the routine one more time."

"Ok. Chris, play the track again."

The music started and the girls did it again, doing it even worse this time, probably due to nerves. Calli stood at the front this time watching each move carefully. It was a short routine and the music stopped fairly soon. Calli closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them.

"Ok, will everyone but Jaqie come right here, stand here and watch for a minute." Calli then made her way up to Jaqie and stood next to her. "I'm gonna do the routine with you now." Jaqie just looked at her in amazement.

Katie snorted. "You can't do a routine after watching it twice genius."

Calli just gave her a look and then turned to Chris. "Start it again please."

The music began and Calli and Jaqie began the routine. The girls just looked on as Calli performed it. Jacob watched her in amazement, coming down the bleachers to observe her closer. Katie watched, trying to keep her face blank, but was unsuccessful.

Calli got every move and step right, but not at the same time that Jaqie executed them. The music stopped and everyone just stared, including Jacob, Katie, and Chris, who hadn't even bothered to stop the music from going to the next track.

"Holy cow!" one of the girls finally shouted. "How did you do that?" The other girls began questioning her.

Calli held up her hands to quiet them. "I just have a really photographic memory. Now, someone tell me what I did wrong."

The girls began murmuring, talking about how amazing it was and that they couldn't believe she could do that. Finally one of the girls near the back spoke up. "You weren't in step."

"Exactly," said Calli. "I was always one movement behind Jaqie. That's because instead of taking my cues from the music, I watched her and took them from her movements. If you're always watching the person next to you, you will be about one step behind them. If the person next to you is watching you, they will be about one step behind you, and so on."

"But if you're taking your cues from the music, and you have the piece that you're dancing to memorized, you can anticipate the next move before it comes and you can all execute it at the same time. You were all out of step with each other. How many of you actually have that song memorized?"

Only a handful of the girls raised their hands.

"You need to have every piece memorized. You need to know every word, if there are any, and you need to know every beat. You have to know it so well that you know what beat is coming next so you can know what you're doing next."

"You should never have your eyes on another dancer. You should be looking out at the audience. Not only does it make your dancing better, but it helps them to connect with you, which is important, especially for competition, when judges are right in front of you. What is that routine from?"

"An assembly we performed at," one of the girls answered.

"Ok, no good for a competition. The song is all wrong. The beat changes too much and too abruptly…it makes it hard for the routine to flow. Also, some of you guys were really stiff, and some were really loose. Everyone needs to try and have the same basic form. And when you guys are doing a very quick step you need to make it more of a shuffle than a stomp, so that it looks smoother and doesn't throw the rhythm off."

"You guys all looked really serious too, like none of you were having any fun. It should all be about fun, or else there's no point. We should try practicing different kinds of dance…even if you're not going to perform them it will help you prepare for what you are going to perform."

Calli paused and looked around; everyone was completely focused on her. "Uh, I think that's pretty much it…for now."

"Ok you guys, I guess we'll stop practice for today, then we can start tomorrow with the three hour practices. Does that sound good?" Jaqie asked.

All the girls nodded. Jaqie looked at Calli last, who nodded.

The girls started leaving, some going and talking to Calli. After they had cleared out only Calli, Jaqie, Chris, Katie and Jacob remained.

"Well, that was pretty amazing," Chris said to Calli, walking up and giving her a smile.

"Thanks," she mumbled.

"So, why don't we get back to that conversation we were having earlier before we were so rudely interrupted."

"Uhh…"

"You ready to go Calli?" Jacob said from behind Chris. Chris turned and glared at him.

"Look…" Chris began.

"Yeah, let's go," Calli interrupted hurriedly. "See you guys tomorrow."

Calli and Jacob began making their way out of the gym.

"I'm not dancing with her here," they heard Katie say angrily.

"Well then I guess you're not dancing," Jaqie replied.

"Looks like Jaqie's decided to leave the Katie Mallory fan club," Jacob said quietly as they left.

Calli just laughed.

Jacob walked with her out to her car. They stopped and looked at each other awkwardly.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Calli said.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Calli went to get in her car.

"Hey Calli?"

Calli turned and looked at him.

"You were really amazing. But you might not want to memorize a dance again in two seconds. Might look a little suspicious. Amazing, but kinda weird."

Calli smiled. "I could do that before. Bye Jacob," she said, and got in her car to drive away.

Jacob walked to his car slowly with a smile on his face, playing over and over in his head the sound of his name on her lips.

* * *

"You have to let her do it Carlisle," Jacob said after telling him what Calli had done in school today.

"It can't be a good idea. Doesn't she appear so much…different than them? Doesn't she move differently?" Carlisle said after reeling in his anger.

"Yeah, but that's not cause she's a…you know. They showed a video of her dancing when she was…before. And she moved just as well then. She's seriously amazing."

"Do you think anyone suspects anything?"

"Well, people know she's different. She doesn't really talk to anyone, which people think is kind of weird. They all kind of expect her to be really popular. But as for suspecting anything…you know…weird…no. She's really not like you guys. She stands out, but people just think she's really beautiful and amazing, not that she's not…human."

Carlisle looked at Jacob thoughtfully for a minute before responding. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"You weren't there to see her Carlisle. She looked so…happy. I haven't seen her look like that once before today. She was…at peace or something. If no one suspects anything, which they don't right now, and it makes her happy, you should let her do it."

Carlisle thought for a minute. "Can you be there with her when she's doing this?"

"Yeah, I'll be there."

"Well," Carlisle said hesitantly, "I guess that it's ok for now. Please keep a close eye on her. I need to know if anything happens."

"I will. There's something else I wanted to talk to you about. I think Calli's having nightmares or something."

"How do you know that?" he demanded.

"Well, something happened in class today. She told me that she opened her mind to…uh…hear something. But when she did it she was in pain. She was grabbing her head and shaking. She left class and I followed her. She was saying she couldn't make it stop. It finally stopped, but she wouldn't really tell me what had happened. She just said she was daydreaming or remembering a dream or something. But she was really freaked out, I could tell. Whatever it was, it scared the hell out of her."

"She does have a lot of nightmares…she used to wake up screaming, but that hasn't happened in awhile. She hasn't told me much about them. I'll have to talk to her about it. But if she opened her mind that doesn't really have anything to do with her dreams…she would have been scared by a thought or a…a vision."

"That's what I thought. Does she have visions?"

"Well, she's never said anything, but Alice seems to think she might. I'm going to talk to her about it." Carlisle hesitated. "So…you guys are speaking to each other?"

"Yeah, I guess…a little. Well, I better get going," he said quickly, standing up and walking to the door.

"Jacob?"

Jacob turned to face him. "I know you care about Calli. It's not wrong. And I'm glad you do. She will be too."

"I'll see you later," Jacob said, and walked out the door.


	20. Chapter 20 Head Games

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- Dream sequences are one of my favorite things to write. There's so much you can do with dreams. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.**

* * *

Calli walked through the forest, other Calli walking next to her.

"Are you me?" Calli asked.

"Of course I am…I would have thought that was obvious."

"But you're…different. Something is different."

"Yes, I suppose I am different. I am simply a part of you."

"A part? That I don't know about?"

"Only that you don't recognize yet."

"Can't you tell me…make me recognize it?"

"I can only tell you what you already truly know…after all, I am you."

"If you're different, does he want you too?"

"He already has me."

"Do you want him?"

"That makes no difference…I am his regardless."

"Do you know what I want?"

"Of course I do…but only because you already know yourself."

"What? What do I want?"

Other Calli smiled and pointed. Calli looked forward.

Jacob was there. He smiled at Calli and came to her side, taking her hand.

Other Calli put her hand to Calli's cheek, and Calli looked at her.

"What you want can matter. You already know what you want. You just need to…realize it, accept it. You need to do it. Your day is coming. He is coming. You need to be ready. If you're not, what you want may not matter."

"Ready for what? What day? How can I be ready?"

"You don't yet know your own power. Learn it. The rest will come soon enough," other Calli said urgently; she then turned around and walked away into the forest.

All of a sudden Jacob was pulling Calli through the forest quickly. "We have to go!" he said hurriedly.

"Calli!"

Calli turned to see Alice shouting to her.

"Calli, it's real! It's real, but I can't see you!" Then Alice disappeared.

Jacob continued pulling her through the forest. They came to Edward and Bella. Edward held Bella back while Bella tried to reach for Jacob.

But Jacob went right past them and began running, pulling Calli with him. "Come on, he's coming!"

"No, he's here," said the voice from behind them.

Calli turned to see the man standing there, smiling as always.

"I won't let her go to you!" Jacob shouted at him.

"I've already told you, you have no choice," the man said.

"What I want can matter," Calli mumbled thoughtfully.

An angry look came over the man's face. "What you want does not matter! When will you understand?! You must come to me…you will not have a choice!"

The man began to walk to Calli. Jacob growled at him, but the man paid no attention to that. He looked from Calli to Jacob and back again. Then he smiled at Calli.

"How many more people would you have me kill?' he said, and then ran at Jacob.

* * *

Calli woke screaming again. She had been having this dream for over a week now. It was always the same, and she always woke at the same time.

She threw the blanket off of her and sat up, frustrated. She had thought about this dream endlessly. She couldn't figure it out, just like all the others. Only one part had made any sense.

Other Calli had told her she didn't know her own power. She told Calli to learn it. That was the only part of the dream that made any sense to her.

So she had been practicing non stop. Her control was amazing. It felt as though her powers were a muscle, a part of her somehow; she felt it getting stronger and stronger. It amazed her.

It also kind of scared her. She had never realized that she could do so much. It made her feel less…human, like she was losing grip on herself. But she had the dream every night now, and that was the only thing she felt like she could do anything about.

Well, that wasn't exactly the only thing that made sense. When she asked other Calli what she wanted, she had pointed to Jacob. And she was right. She wanted Jacob.

It had been two weeks since they had started speaking, and they spoke every day now. The more she was near him the more she wanted to be near him. She felt happy with him.

But things still felt off with them a lot. Sometimes Calli would feel how close she was getting to him, and she would pull herself back. She was scared of what she felt between them. And Jacob did it too; she could feel it when he pulled away. She knew why it happened; why both of them did it.

Because they could never be together. Because they were too different. She knew that when Jacob looked at her and withdrew it was because of what she was. She was constantly angry that she could never be with him; because she wasn't human.

And then she thought if she were still human she never would have met him. Sometimes when she looked at him she felt her heart breaking in two.

But sometimes when she looked at him, and he looked back, she thought that maybe it didn't matter. Maybe they could…get past it somehow. And that scared her. But she always came to her senses and realized that they couldn't. It made her sad. But it made her happy to be around him; she tried to focus on that.

Calli walked downstairs and found everyone sitting in the living room, looking at her expectantly.

"Come and sit please Calli," Carlisle said.

"What's going on?" Calli asked slowly.

"Just come and sit please," he repeated, motioning to the spot next to him.

Calli sat down and looked around. Everyone was staring at her.

"Tell me what's going on in your dreams Calli," Carlisle said firmly.

Calli paused before answering. "I already told you."

"You're not telling me everything."

"I just have dreams about the guy that attacked me."

"Calli, you are not leaving until you tell me everything…the truth."

Calli just looked at Carlisle for a moment, then looked away, making sure not to meet anyone's eye.

"Please Calli," Carlisle urged. "You have woken up screaming every day for a week. You don't even need to sleep, yet you continue to do it for some reason…and I want to know why."

Calli looked at him again and sighed. "I always dream…" she paused. "I always dream that I'm walking through the forest. I come to a clearing. Either he's there, or…or I'm there."

"You? You mean you're walking there?"

"No, there's…another me. She talks to me."

"Does the man talk to you?"

Calli sighed. "Yes."

"What does he say?"

Calli shuddered. "He…he says I'm his. That I have to come to him. He says I have no choice…that I belong to him."

"And when you talk to…yourself, what do you…what does she say?"

"She used to say the same thing…that I'm his. But now she says that she is his, and that I can have a choice…that what I want matters," Calli said, her voice cracking on that last part. "She keeps saying that my day is coming; that I have to be ready."

"Calli, why didn't you tell me this before?" Carlisle asked, frustrated.

"Hello, does it sound like it makes sense? Does it make sense to you? Because it sure doesn't make any sense to me! I sound like a crazy person! It sounds even worse out loud."

"Then why do you keep sleeping?" Carlisle questioned.

"I don't know!"

"You think they mean something," Alice murmured softly.

Calli glared at her, but soon her look softened. "Yes," she said quietly.

"Calli, what else is there?"

"I don't know. They kind of change…or at least some things change. Once you told me that I belonged to him too," Calli said, looking at Carlisle. She paused. "Edward and Bella have been there a few times, but they never say anything. Alice, you're there a lot, but you just keep telling me you can't see me, and now in the dreams you tell me it's real over and over, and…" Calli trailed off.

"And what?" Carlisle asked.

"And Jacob," Calli said quietly.

"What does he do?"

Calli looked away and stayed silent.

"Tell me Calli."

"He pulls me away…he tells me I can't go to the man."

"Do you want to go to the man in the dreams?"

"No, but sometimes it's like I can't help it…like I have no control over my feet or something."

"What do you think they mean?"

"Well, if I knew that I probably wouldn't feel so stupid right now," she muttered.

"It's not stupid Calli. It obviously is important, if you keep dreaming it over and over. Alice…thinks it's possible that you are having visions. That you are actually seeing something in these dreams."

"In your dreams Calli, you said I kept saying 'it's real', just like I told Carlisle that I thought the dreams were real…but I never said anything to you about the dreams," Alice said softly.

Calli just stared at her, open mouthed. She finally spoke. "No…it can't be real."

"Why not Calli? You have so many abilities…this could be one of them," Esme said softly.

"In the dreams, every time other Calli…you know, when I'm talking to myself…when I told her I don't understand about my day coming, she says I just have to know what to look for…and then she points to you Carlisle."

"Me?" Carlisle asked, looking puzzled. "Does the man say anything else? Any kind of clues as to what they're talking about, what's going on?"

"He just keeps saying I'm his, that I have to come to him, that…" Calli stopped short.

"What is it?"

"He said…he said if I don't come to him…that he'll have to kill me," Calli said, looking at Carlisle. "Carlisle, this can't be real."

Carlisle just looked at her, saying nothing; his face was grim.

"Carlisle!" Calli almost shouted.

"Calli…are you reading minds?" Carlisle asked slowly.

"No. I told you, I don't like to do that," she said warily.

"What about that day in class? The day Jacob told me about?"

"He told you about that?"

"Calli, what happened that day?" he demanded.

"I...I just needed to get some answers to a test," she replied sheepishly.

"And what happened when you opened your mind?"

"I heard him screaming at me. I couldn't really make it out. I know I heard 'come to me'. And I…" Calli swallowed hard. "I saw a girl…being tortured to death."

Esme gasped; Carlisle closed his eyes and shook his head.

"What? Why are you shaking your head?!"

"I didn't even think about it, I must not have remembered. I should have known all along," Carlisle said quietly.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Calli practically shouted.

"They're not just dreams…your mind…it's connected to his. To the vampire who attacked you. William told me that…I didn't remember, I never even thought of it. That's why you're seeing these things when you sleep. Because you're not reading minds, your mind is closed off. He can only get to it when you're sleeping. And that one time you opened it in class."

"You're telling me…you're telling me, this stuff I've been seeing…it's real. The people dying…that girl," she choked out, her voice catching in her throat.

"I…I'm so sorry Calli," Carlisle said softly.

* * *

"No, no, no!" Calli yelled. "Stop the music!"

Jacob looked down at her. There was something wrong today. She was upset about something, but she wouldn't talk to him; she would barely look at him. She was very frustrated and agitated. It worried him.

The last couple weeks had been incredible. He talked to her every day. They were together all the time. Jacob had never felt so happy, so content, so…complete. He felt like everything was in place.

Most of the time. But then he would think about the reality of the situation. And he knew that what he really wanted could never happen. He didn't even hear that voice anymore that told him he couldn't be with her.

But he knew he couldn't. Facts were facts, and the facts were he was a werewolf and she was a vampire. When he thought about this it killed him. He literally could feel his insides tearing apart with the pain.

Even Sam had told him he saw a difference. "There you are," Sam had said to him one day. "We missed you Jake," and gave him a big smile, slapping him on the shoulder.

He told him that he hadn't seen him this happy in awhile. Imagine what he would say if he knew the reason. He just told Sam that the Bella thing had gotten easier.

But it was Calli. She made his life make sense; made it worth living at all. He woke up every day for her. And to know that he couldn't have her the way he wanted, the way he needed, was torture.

"You guys are too stiff! You barely look like you're moving! And some of you are still out of step!" she said. "Everyone stand over here! Jaqie, Katie, come out to the floor please."

Katie had finally given in and agreed to dance on the team with Calli coaching. They didn't butt heads nearly as much as they had in the beginning, although Katie's distaste was still clear as she rolled her eyes while making her way to the middle of the floor.

"Start the music again please!"

The music started and Calli, Katie, and Jaqie performed the routine. It was practically flawless. Calli had come up with something brilliant, and they were supposed to perform it for the first time at an open house the school was having in a few days. If Calli didn't tear their heads off first.

They finished and Calli walked away, directing the other girls back to the floor. "Stop watching the other girl's! Listen to the music and take your cues from that. Unless you guys want to try this blindfolded," she said harshly.

The music started and the girls began dancing again. It was obvious how hard they were trying; they had improved a lot since Calli started. And for the most part she recognized and praised that. But today she was in a terrible mood, and Jacob wanted to know why.

She had seemed happy these last couple weeks. That almost hurt Jacob more. He wanted desperately to know if she felt for him what he felt for her. But he just couldn't ask her.

Every day he felt himself getting closer and closer to her. And he knew he needed to stop. He caught himself sometimes and began to pull away from her. But he knew that soon he would have to stop in a big way, and that hurt him more than he could stand. He tried to push that thought away as much as he could.

"Ok, we're done for the day. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Calli went to the locker room to get her things; Jacob waited for her.

That was another thing. When she dressed to dance, Jacob almost couldn't look at her. The first time she had gone and changed, he walked out of the gym. He knew if he stayed that close he would not be containing himself.

The first couple days had been absolute torture. Now it was just slight torture. He had never had a stronger urge to touch her, to kiss her, then he did when she was dressed for dance practice. His heart raced faster than he even knew was possible.

Those first few days he left her practice without waiting for her; he knew that being alone with her in the parking lot would not be a good idea.

She came out with her things and began walking to the door. Jacob quickly caught up with her.

"What's up with you today?"

"Nothing is 'up with me'," she said hotly.

"Yeah, ok…you were just over there doing a Hitler style practice for fun?"

"Just drop it Jacob."

"Tell me what's going on!" he demanded, grabbing her arm to stop her. He felt something electric shoot through him when he touched her.

They had reached her car. She turned and pulled her arm away from him; he could see pain in her eyes. "You want to know, go talk to Carlisle!" she practically shouted and got in her car, driving off quickly.

* * *

"Do you think she's in danger?" Jacob asked gravely.

"Yes, I do," Carlisle said. "I think this vampire created her to be his mate. I think if you hadn't interrupted the attack he would have taken her with him. And I think he still wants her now."

"So what do we do?"

"I wish I knew. The man seems to be trying to get Calli to come to him. Of course she's not going. But she is connected to him. The day may come when she does. Her free will may be overtaken by him."

"No it won't," Jacob growled.

"Jacob, this vampire, he's very powerful. More powerful than Calli will ever be. I don't know that there's anything we can do."

"So you're saying we should just let her go if it comes to that?!"

"No, of course not. I'm just saying that, as of now…I have no idea what to do. He seems reluctant, for some reason, to come directly to Calli. Maybe because all of us are around her. But I'm really not sure."

"He's not getting near her."

"I don't even know how to kill him. How he and Calli can even die."

"I figure ripping him apart will be a good start."

"And how will you get to him, if he is using his powers on you?" Carlisle questioned.

"I don't know. But he's not getting near her. I don't care what I have to do."

"Well for now I think it's best to try and keep her mind off of it. It's upset her a great deal. I've also told her to stop sleeping. As far as I can tell, because she doesn't read minds, that's the only way he can get to her. We just have to try and keep her mind away from him."


	21. Chapter 21 Too Much to Bear

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Calli came downstairs to see everyone but Edward and Bella waiting.

"Uh, what's up guys?" she asked cautiously.

"We're going to the open house tonight!" Alice said excitedly, bouncing up and down.

"That's really, really, very not necessary."

"We want to see what you did with the dance team," Esme said.

"Look, this isn't like graduation or something, I don't need a bunch of people there to watch. I'm not even dancing anyway."

"Come on, it's gonna be fun," Alice said, grabbing Calli's arm and pulling her out to the car.

Calli groaned and rolled her eyes.

They got to the school and went into the gym. Calli looked around and spotted Jacob, who gave her a small smile and looked away.

The day Calli found out about her dreams had been tense. But the next couple days after that had been better, and they resumed their…whatever they had just fine.

But today something was different about Jacob. She could see that something had happened, or something had changed, and she didn't know what. She tried not to think about it as she looked around for Jaqie.

"Calli, there you are, oh thank goodness!" Jaqie exclaimed, running up to her. "You have to dance tonight!"

"What? What are you talking about?" Calli asked, looking puzzled.

"Katie hurt her ankle today! She twisted it when she was getting out of her car! You're gonna have to dance with us!"

"Uh, Jaqie, why don't you go back to the locker room? I'll be there in a minute."

Jaqie looked at Calli with wide eyes, but Calli just nodded. She turned and walked away.

Calli turned back and looked at Carlisle.

"I don't see why not. I don't think it's that big of a deal. No one seems to suspect anything," Carlisle said, smiling at her. "But Calli," he hesitated. "You didn't…"

"No, I didn't do anything to her ankle. Tempting, but no," Calli said, rolling her eyes and walking off toward the locker room.

* * *

Jacob sat in the back of the gym, arms folded, watching Jaqie talk to Calli. Calli finished talking to her and then looked back at Carlisle. Carlisle nodded and said something, and Calli went to the locker room.

Soon the program began, and one of the administrators started talking about the school.

It was becoming too much for him. Being around her everyday was getting too hard. He wanted more; at times he was ready to say what the hell and take it.

But he knew, he absolutely knew, he couldn't. That as much as he wanted it, it wasn't possible. And he didn't know how much longer he would be able to do this.

He knew she felt something for him. He didn't know exactly what, but he knew it was something. It became more evident every day.

And that made it that much harder. Knowing that she might want the same things he did was more than he could handle. It was becoming clear that he was going to have to do something…and soon.

The administrator announced the dance team and they walked out; Calli was with them.

_What the…?_

He looked at all the girls; Katie was missing, with Calli in her place. She looked unbelievable in the pink and white outfit the girls had designed together. He went down closer so he would have a better view.

The routine started, and the entire crowd became silent. Calli was by far the most amazing dancer there, but she had done wonders with the other girls; they looked great.

Just thirty seconds or so into the routine Calli caught Jacob's eye. They stared at each other through the whole thing. Jacob became unaware of everything around him. He just stared into her eyes, his heart racing. He was becoming breathless and felt a little shaky. It was all he could do not to go down there and grab her right then and there.

When it ended there were loud cheers all around him, but he still didn't break the gaze. The other girls were moving around, talking to each other excitedly, but Calli stood her ground, never taking her eyes from his. Finally Jaqie went to grab Calli and hug her, and her eyes pulled away.

Jacob dropped his head, taking deep breaths and closing his eyes, massaging them with his fingers. He fought to get his heart rate down.

He finally managed to calm himself slightly, and looked up to see Chris talking to Calli. He balled his fists and got ready to go down to her.

But he suddenly stopped. He knew he couldn't handle many more of these encounters. They were too much, and the day would come when he wasn't going to keep himself from what he really wanted.

He knew what he had to do. He didn't want to do it. But that couldn't matter anymore; he had to.

He had to leave.

* * *

"So, what are you doing after this thing tonight?" Chris asked, continuing a conversation Calli had been trying to stop from the beginning. She looked up into the bleachers, but she couldn't see Jacob anywhere.

"Huh?" she said absentmindedly.

"I thought maybe you'd want to go out later."

Calli exhaled in frustration. "Look Chris. I don't know how to make this any clearer. I'm really, truly, not interested," she said, looking him directly in the eye.

"I don't really believe that," Chris said, smiling. "You just haven't given me a chance."

"Chris, I have to go. I'll see you Monday." She walked away quickly, still scanning the bleachers.

"Oh my gosh, that was so amazing Calli!" one of the girls came and shouted. "That seriously has to be, like, the best we have ever done!"

Calli gave her a small smile. "You guys were great."

"Yeah, because of you. You are just the best!"

"Thanks. Umm, I gotta go. I'll see you Monday."

She walked over to where everyone was waiting.

"That was so amazing Calli!" Alice exclaimed, giving her a big hug.

"Thanks," Calli said, sounding preoccupied.

"You are incredibly talented," Esme said, smiling and giving her a hug too.

"That was pretty amazing," Rosalie said, almost in awe.

"Yeah. They didn't suck this time," Emmett said.

"It was really great Calli," Carlisle added.

"Thanks you guys. Umm, I'll be right back. Just hang on."

Calli walked away, scanning the bleachers as she made her way out of the gym. She looked around outside, but she didn't see him anywhere. She went and walked around a few hallways, but he was nowhere in sight.

She walked back into the gym, looking a little dazed.

"Are you ok?" Carlisle asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Can we just go home?"

Carlisle looked at her questioningly for a moment. "Sure. Let's go."

Calli looked around for him the whole way out to the car, finding nothing.

* * *

Calli sat at her table, legs crossed, her head in one hand, the other tapping her pencil noisily against the tabletop. She stared off into space, not hearing a word of what the teacher said.

It had been five days since she had seen Jacob. Five days! Where was he? She had seen him last when they had been locked in that gaze during her routine.

That was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to her. Something had almost…passed between them that night. She hadn't even wanted to continue dancing, which was a first for her.

She just wanted to go to him. The urge was overwhelming; it felt like it was hitting her full force. In that moment she hadn't cared what he was, what she was. She had just decided she was going to go to him, that none of it mattered.

But she hadn't been able to find him anywhere after it had ended. That had been Friday. The weekend was torture; the only relief had been knowing she would see him first thing Monday. She hurried to class, but he hadn't gotten there yet.

He never came…to any of the classes. Tuesday either.

And now it was Wednesday, and he still wasn't there. She was almost worried, until she thought realistically; he was a werewolf, she was pretty sure there wasn't too much that could hurt him.

But where was he then? She felt like something inside was dying at not seeing him; like a part of her physically needed him. She had asked Carlisle if he knew anything, but he had no idea why Jacob wasn't there.

The part of Calli's mind that she didn't want to listen to told her that he was avoiding her; that he didn't want to see her.

But thinking about that killed her. Things had been going so well with them; not the way she would have preferred, but she still got to be around him. And that made her happy.

She was upset at herself at the same time. She had tried desperately throughout her life not to rely on anyone; not to need anyone. But she knew without a doubt she needed him. He was the only thing in her life that mattered right now. And the fact that he wasn't there was too much to bear.

She had obsessed over this the last few days. But the only logical answer was that he didn't want to see her. And every time that thought entered her head she felt like she would break in two.

The bell rang and she made her way to the gym. She didn't even change; she just told the girls she would observe today. She walked around in a daze, giving them a few pointers here and there, but not really paying attention.

Jaqie must have noticed she wasn't all there; she ended the practice after just over an hour. Calli walked to her car and drove home, hardly noticing the drive. She walked into the house.

"Hello," Carlisle said.

"How was your day?" asked Esme.

"Fine," Calli replied distractedly.

"Still no Jacob?" Carlisle asked.

"Huh?"

"Jacob still hasn't come back?" he asked gently.

"Oh. No," she said, and made her way to her room.

Calli sat for hours thinking about it over and over. After awhile she was more angry than anything. The anger was a little easier to deal with than the pain, so she let that take over, and she wallowed in it.

But every time she pictured Jacob; his smile, the way it lit up his entire face; his big, muscular frame, the way his hand had felt against her skin; she started to crumble again. She imagined his eyes looking into hers and the pain wanted to take over.

But she was resolved to being angry, and held onto that with all her might. She heard a knock on the door that pulled her out of her thoughts. "Come in," she said dully.

Carlisle walked in, looking at her carefully. "How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"You don't really look like you're fine."

"Well, I am."

"Calli, I know you and Jacob have become…close lately."

"Yeah, I guess," Calli mumbled.

"I just don't want you to get hurt."

_Too late for that._

"The two of you…your circumstances are very…difficult."

"Well, you know, I really don't think that it's going to be a problem. Obviously Jacob doesn't want to see me," Calli said angrily.

Carlisle sighed. "Jacob just called Calli. He wants you to meet him."

Calli stared at Carlisle incredulously. "He just called?" she demanded.

"Yes."

"Where?"

Carlisle stared at Calli. "Do you know what you're doing Calli?"

"Yeah, I'm going to go yell at Jacob," she retorted, grabbing a raincoat out of her closet.

"Calli, I don't need you to tell me you love Jacob for me to know it."

Calli's eyes darted to his, then quickly away.

"I also don't need him to tell me to know that he loves you."

"I really don't think that's the case."

"Be careful Calli. This is more complicated than even you know."

"Where?" she demanded again.


	22. Chapter 22 Giving In

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- This is my favorite chapter so far, the one I have been waiting to post for what feels like forever. This is the first part of my story that I knew with absolute certainty what was going to happen. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it!**

* * *

Jacob saw Calli's headlights approach him, the bright lights cutting through the darkness.

He had planned on just leaving school without saying anything to her. He had gone a few days, too. But he knew he needed to tell her something. Even if he had to do it in a terrible way, he had to do it. He needed to give her something. Just leaving was the coward's way out, and he didn't want to be a coward on top of everything else.

When he hadn't gone to school Monday Billy really hadn't said much. By Tuesday he was asking Jacob what was wrong. Jacob just continued to tell him he wasn't feeling well.

That morning, Wednesday, he asked Jacob if he wanted to transfer out of Forks High. He told him to just leave it alone and had walked away with no explanation. Sam tried to talk to him, but he hadn't said a word.

He was angry at all of them. They hadn't done a thing, but he was still angry at them; because he knew what he wanted, and he knew that if he took it they would crucify him.

He didn't want any of them near him. Even Embry and Quil had given it a try, but Jacob had sent them away angrily. He knew what he was doing was unfair; they had done nothing, but that wasn't what mattered to him.

All he could feel was excruciating pain; that was the only thing he could focus on. Going this long without seeing Calli was ripping him to pieces. He knew he just wasn't whole without her. That he could never be whole again. She had a piece of him. He didn't even want that piece back; he just wanted to be there with her while she had it.

But that wasn't an option. He knew they couldn't be together. He hated himself every minute of every day for not going to her when he had first seen her. He knew that every minute of every day for the rest of his life would be spent with her on his mind.

But if he stayed that close to her he knew he wouldn't resist for much longer. It was too dangerous for him to risk. Of course, he would be close by. Carlisle thought she was in danger, and Jacob couldn't let anything happen to her; not again.

What hurt him more than anything was knowing he would probably be hurting her too. That he was going to cause her any kind of pain. A part of him wished he had kept pretending to hate her, so she wouldn't have to deal with this now.

But another part of him relished in the memories he did have with her, and didn't want to give them up for anything. They were the reason he got up in the morning; so he would have the chance to relive them. And he did, time and time again.

Calli pulled closer and stopped, leaving her lights on. Jacob took a deep breath and closed his eyes, hating himself for what he was going to do. He exhaled slowly and opened his eyes. Then he opened the car door and stood.

The rain was pounding down, but Jacob didn't care. His jeans and t shirt were soaked within seconds, but he didn't notice as he watched Calli get out of the car. She closed her door and just stood there, looking at him.

Her face was angry. But her eyes were sad. Through the anger he could see slight relief in her face after she looked at him; the same relief he felt at seeing her. That killed him, and he felt the pain physically.

They stood there staring at each other before Jacob finally broke the gaze. He couldn't lose his nerve, and staring into her eyes was certain to cause that to happen. He went over to the other side of his car so that he was across from her.

"Do you know what this place is?" he called to her.

She took a few steps forward, looking around. "It's the La Push border," she called back.

While he hadn't wanted to be a coward, he had done a pretty cowardly thing by having her meet him here. But he didn't think he could do it if she were able to get too close to him.

"And you know about the treaty?"

"Yeah, I know I'm not allowed to cross the line Jacob," she spat at him.

He took a deep breath before going on. "I can't see you anymore."

"You told me to come see you so you could tell me you can't see me?"

"I was just supposed to watch you Calli. We weren't supposed to talk, or become friends. And I'm not going to be friends with you." He tried to make his voice audible over the pounding rain.

"Don't you think it's a little late for that?" she called back angrily.

"I don't need to be there anymore. You've already shown us that you're not a threat, that you're not dangerous. My job is done."

"Your job?! Your job?! Your job was done a long time ago! You already knew I wasn't dangerous! Are you going to sit there and insult my intelligence by telling me you were still there because you were afraid I was dangerous?!" she screamed at him, her tiny fists balled at her sides. The hood from her rain jacket had come down and her hair was now soaked. She looked so beautiful it was painful, and he had to look away.

"That's why I was there. That's all!"

"Don't be a coward Jacob!" she screamed at him even louder. "If you're going to do this, then you damn well better tell me the truth!"

"The truth! You want the truth?! You're one of them! You are one of them! A bloodsucker! A leech! You are what I kill!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, despising himself for it the whole time. Tears ran down his face along with the pouring rain.

At that she looked taken aback. She stood there silently for a minute, her face furious. Jacob tried to match his face to hers, trying to play his part the best he could.

"Maybe you should have thought of that before!" she finally screamed at him, taking a few steps closer to the boundary line. "Why the hell did you even stay?!"

"Because that was my job!" he yelled, emphasizing each word.

"Don't give me that crap! Don't you stand there and tell me all of that was for your freaking job! I'm not stupid…don't talk to me like I am! I know…"

"You don't know anything! You think you do, but you don't know a damn thing!" he shouted back, interrupting her.

"At least I'm not standing here lying! At least have the guts to tell me the truth! Don't resort to calling me stupid names because _you_ are spineless!"

"You don't even know what's going on!"

"Do you?! Or are your lies actually making sense in your twisted head?!"

"I am not lying!" he roared. He felt himself begin to shake and had to take deep breaths to keep himself calm. Not because he was angry at her, but because he was so angry at himself for doing this, and at everyone and everything he had to do this for.

"If you want to do this Jacob, fine! But don't expect me to believe these lame excuses you're throwing around!" Thunder cracked loudly and the rain came down even harder, running down her face in rivers.

"You knew why I was there! You knew what I was there to do the whole time!"

"You are such a liar! Don't tell me what I knew! You don't even know what you knew! Do you actually believe this crap, or do you just think I'm dumb enough to?! You can't even look at me when you're saying it!" she screamed furiously.

"You know what you are, and you know what I am! We are not supposed to be friends! We are not supposed to be…anything! You are my enemy! Don't you get it?!" he yelled, barely able to get those last lines out.

"Then why the hell did you let…whatever we had go on?! Why did you let it happen at all?! If you hate me so much…if I repel you that badly!"

"We didn't have anything!"

Calli walked closer. He could see she was shaking with anger. She was gritting her teeth before she spoke. "If you expect me to believe this bullshit, if you expect me to buy this, then you damn well better look me in the eye when you're saying it!" She was screaming at the top of her lungs and walking forward, coming dangerously close to the boundary line.

"Stop!" he screamed, finally meeting her angry gaze. "That's the boundary line in front of you! If you cross that line, I have to…"

"You have to what?! You have to kill me!" she screamed furiously, her eyes wide and bright, her hair plastered to her head and face. "Well you know what Jacob?!" she continued, looking in his eyes, her face full of fury.

She stepped over the line and came at him. "Go ahead! Do it! Just kill me! Maybe that will make you less of a jerk for the rest of the damn world! Get it over with! It's what you want, isn't it?! Me dead! That's what you do, right?! So just go ahead and do it already, you stupid coward!" she cried at him as she walked forward and began pounding his chest with her tiny hands.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he roared at her. "You can't cross the…"

"I don't give a shit about the line! Just do it already! What are you waiting for, huh?! Do it!" She kept pounding on his chest.

He reached down and pinned her hands to her sides just as she shouted, "It doesn't matter without…" Her screams halted abruptly and she refused to finish the sentence. Jacob looked down at her angry face. She stared forward for just a moment at his chest, struggling to free her arms, before she looked up into his eyes and began again. "Just do…"

He crushed his lips to hers, silencing her last scream. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly to him.

It felt like his entire body was screaming with relief. It wasn't even close to what he had imagined it being. It was so much more. His entire world felt like it was right. He felt his entire being responding to her closeness. Nothing else mattered at that moment; all that mattered was that he was holding her, touching her, kissing her.

Her arms made their way in between them and she pushed him away. He looked down at her face; her eyes were wide, and she was breathing rapidly. Her hands sat on his chest and she didn't move.

She looked into his eyes. He was breathing hard, but he didn't care about catching his breath. All he cared about was that it felt all wrong being separated from her.

He leaned down to push his lips against hers again, and this time she responded eagerly, standing on her tip toes to wrap her arms around his neck and lifting her head to his. His lips moved furiously against hers and he felt the agony of the last few months slowly dissipating.

He kept pulling her tighter against him as if he couldn't get her close enough. He swung around to push her up to his car and continued kissing her, the rain pouring down on them in buckets. His hands made their way up her back and to her hair, pressing her lips to his more firmly. He had no idea how long they stayed there like that, but he knew it would never be long enough.

She finally pushed him away and squeezed her way between him and the car, walking toward her own. "I can't, I have to…" she began breathlessly.

"No!" Jacob growled. He grabbed her and spun her around, moving his lips to hers again. She kissed him back just as anxiously for several minutes before pushing him away again and running to her car.

She got in and started it, then spun the car around and hit the gas, the tires screeching on the wet pavement.

Jacob just stood there in the rain long after Calli's car had driven out of sight. He let it wash over him and raised his head to the sky.

There was no real way to describe the way he felt. His tension, his anxiety, it was all gone. All of his burden's felt like they were lifted, and for the first time in longer than he could remember, he felt at peace.

And he knew he was never leaving Calli. Not only was he never leaving her, but he was going to be with her. He didn't care what his dad thought, what the pack thought, what anyone thought.

While he was kissing her it had all been clear. She was his destiny. She was his life. Nothing else mattered, no one else mattered. This was about him and Calli. And he was done trying to pretend that he didn't love her.

He didn't know how he would make them understand; he didn't know if they would ever understand. That wasn't his problem. He would tell them and let them make of it what they would.

He smiled at the thought of knowing he was done fighting. Knowing he was going to be with her no matter what. He didn't care what she was; all she was to him was his love, his life, his reason for existence.

And he knew she loved him too. She may have pushed him away in the end, but her kiss told him everything. And he knew what she was going to say when she had stopped screaming suddenly.

He now knew that she had always felt for him like he felt for her. He told himself that everything was going to work out as he got in his car and made his way home.

When he pulled up to the house most of the pack was outside, as well as Billy. They all turned to Jacob as he got out of the car. He walked up the path. "Look, if this is some kind of intervention, I really don't…"

"What in the hell do you think you're doing?" Paul yelled furiously, lunging at Jacob. Quil jumped and grabbed him, shoving him back.

"What's going on?" Jacob demanded.

"Jake…please just tell me what Paul and Jared are saying isn't true," Billy said, his voice quivering.

Jacob swallowed hard, anticipating what was coming. "And what are they saying?"

"You kissed that leech! That bloodsucker! And you let her cross onto our land! What is your…" Paul screamed.

"You shut your mouth!" Jacob interrupted angrily, taking a step in Paul's direction. Embry came and put a hand on his chest, but he pushed it away and stared Paul down.

"Tell me that it isn't true Jacob!" Billy shouted.

He looked at his dad long and hard before responding. "I can't," he replied, looking straight into his eyes.

Everyone exploded at once.

"You sick…" Paul began to yell.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Leah screamed.

"Jacob, I swear…" Billy fumed.

"Everyone quiet!" Sam shouted.

Billy continued yelling at Jacob, coming toward him and getting louder.

"Billy, stop!" Sam shouted.

"Don't you tell me…"

"Now Billy," Sam said firmly.

Billy glared at Sam, but stopped yelling. Sam walked to Jacob and stood in front of him, looking directly into his eyes. "When?"

Jacob stared at him for a moment before answering. "The day she was attacked, in the forest…before she was bitten."

"What happened?"

"I…I saw her, but I ran." Jacob choked up on that part. He cleared his throat and continued. "Later I heard her scream. When…when I got there she was already bitten. I was too late. I brought her to them."

"What is going on?" Billy shouted.

Sam turned to face him. "Jacob is imprinted to Calli."

"What?!" Paul shouted. "He's lying! That's not possible! She's a vampire!"

"Shut up Paul! He imprinted on her before she was attacked."

"Well…that doesn't matter! She's still a bloodsucker! He can't be with her!"

Jacob growled at Leah and she stepped back.

"He's not going to be with her," Billy said angrily.

"Yes I am," Jacob said simply.

"Don't you…" Billy began.

"You have some serious problems!" Paul yelled at the same time Billy spoke.

"Everyone knock it off!" Sam yelled, glaring at all of them. "Now listen to me, and don't interrupt," he said, looking at Billy. "This is Jacob's decision. If he's imprinted to Calli, then that's the way it is. None of you get to have a say in his imprinting."

"This is a joke," Paul scoffed.

This time it was Sam's turn to get angry. "Don't you call imprinting a joke! Maybe if you had ever imprinted you would know a fraction of what Jake is going through now, but you haven't, so you don't. So keep your mouth shut, got it?"

Paul just glared at Sam but said nothing.

"He is not doing this," Billy said angrily.

"This isn't your decision Billy," Sam warned.

"If you think I'm going to let him be with that…"

"Don't dad," Jacob hissed.

"No Sam!" Leah yelled. "You need to do something about this…now!" she continued, glaring at him. Then she turned to Jacob. "She's not even human!"

"She's more human than anyone I know!"

"This is Jacob's decision, and no one is going to tell him what to do…including me. Now, it looks like none of you have anything constructive to say to Jake, so you can all leave." Paul let out a small growl. Sam eyed Paul and glared at him. "Now."

Everyone but Embry, Quil, and Sam walked away. Billy went into the house and slammed the door.

"Jake, man…" Embry began

"If you are going to say anything about Calli then keep your mouth shut," Jacob said icily.

"I won't," he said simply.

"You've been imprinted to her for more than three months," Sam said.

It felt like so much longer. "Yeah."

"And this is the first time…"

"Yes," Jacob interrupted.

"You're strong Jake. Stronger than I think I would be if I was in your place," Sam said quietly.

"I'm so sorry Jake," Quil said.

"You know, she's not like the rest of them. There's a lot in her that is still human. But even if she were like them…I don't think it would matter."

"I know," said Quil quietly. "If Claire were different…I don't think it would matter either."

"That's why you wouldn't phase," Embry murmured thoughtfully.

"Jake," Sam began, "I don't think I have to tell you how incredibly difficult this is going to be. Imprinting is hard on its own. But your circumstances are so much different. This is never going to be easy."

"I know Sam. But I don't care. Whatever I have to do…whatever it takes to be with her, that's what I'm gonna do."

* * *

Calli walked into the house, drenched from the rain. Esme jumped up and ran to her.

"What happened?" she exclaimed.

Calli just looked at her warily and walked up the stairs, saying nothing.

Esme turned to Carlisle. "Do you know what's going on? What happened to her?"

Carlisle sighed. "I think her life just got a whole lot more complicated."


	23. Chapter 23 Moving Forward

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Calli paced back and forth in her room, trying to rid herself of the anxiousness she felt. She was so wound up; she couldn't seem to relax. She had been doing this for hours, but it hadn't gotten any better.

She kissed Jacob. Well, Jacob kissed her. Whoever had done what didn't matter. Her body had been against his, her lips had been on his. And now she was terrified.

Because, although she knew she had wanted this for a long time, she had told herself over and over that it would never happen.

She had been so angry when they had been standing there screaming back and forth. She had never screamed like that in her life.

But as soon as she knew for sure that Jacob was trying to leave her, although she had really known already by his absence; but as soon as he himself had made it clear to her, she lost it. All the pain and all the anxiety she felt at the thought of not being near him anymore had screamed their way out. She just kept going and going.

But when Jacob almost said he would have to kill her if she crossed the line, something had really snapped. And she had crossed it, without even really realizing she was doing it, without thinking about it at all. And she told him to just kill her.

She had meant it too. It hadn't just been hysterical ranting. Because just like she had almost screamed at him before she stopped herself; her life didn't matter without him.

She knew that now. He was her life. He was all that she wanted. And as much as she hated to admit it, she desperately needed him. In those few minutes with Jacob she felt more than she had in her entire life. She knew what she was. She knew that she was no longer human, that her heart didn't beat anymore.

But for her it hadn't started until he came along.

And now she was scared for so many reasons. She was scared of needing someone so much, when she had tried for as long as she could remember to need no one. She was scared of the relationship the two of them could have; if they could even have one. She was scared of never being able to get past what they were.

But more than anything else, she was scared that, even after tonight, even after what had happened, he was still going to leave. She knew he had feelings for her; that much was at least obvious.

But she didn't know if it was enough. And now that this had happened between them, the thought of not being with him was that much more painful.

Nothing mattered more to her than he did now. Pushing him away from her had been torture; she would have loved to stay there with him like that forever.

But it scared her. That had been her first kiss. And the intensity of it had been almost too much to bear. Like it was going to break her. She hadn't even known that feelings like that existed. The way she had reacted to his closeness scared her a lot.

And at the same time she had never wanted to leave. But something inside of her had pushed him away. And now she was terrified that she wouldn't see him again, that he would do what he had gone there to tell her he would.

She was surprised when she looked over at the window and saw daylight. She had paced her room all night. She looked at the clock; it was still very early, but she decided to start getting ready anyway.

She took her time to drag it out. She had showered last night after coming in from the rain and had styled her hair, but she decided to shower and do it again just to take up time. After taking longer to get ready than she had in a long time, she finally made her way downstairs to find Esme in the living room.

"Good morning."

"Morning."

"Are you alright?" Esme asked gently.

Calli was still always so surprised at Esme's concern for her. She smiled at her. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm gonna go ahead and go now."

"Aren't you a little early?" she asked, frowning.

"Yeah, but what else am I going to do? I'll see you later."

Calli drove slowly to school, trying to waste as much time as possible. But she was still there very early and decided to sit out front at the picnic tables. She sat watching the parking lot the entire time, waiting for his car to pull in; but it never did.

Finally the bell rang and she made her way to her first class. She took her seat and watched the door, but a part of her knew he wasn't going to walk through it. The bell rang and class started. Calli spent the entire period staring at the window, going through the same thoughts she had all night.

She did this in every class, until finally the bell rang in her fourth period for lunch. By now she was starting to become angry. She walked out the door and made her way to the library.

"Calli, wait up."

She rolled her eyes as Chris came and walked with her. He had been bothering her even more since Jacob hadn't been there. Every day he pestered her and flirted with her. She tried to just ignore him, but she knew he would continue.

"Anyway, so…"

"No Chris."

"You didn't even let me…"

"Let you finish? Do you have anything different to say than you already have? I didn't think so," she said when he remained silent.

"I don't like you. I don't want to date you. Going out with you is not going to change that, and even if there was the remote possibility that it would, we're never going to find out because I'm never going to say yes to you. Now, if there is any way for me to make this clearer to you, please, let me know so I can do it."

She looked at his slightly shocked face and raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to speak, but he said nothing. "I'm going to assume that was enough to make it clear then. Bye Chris."

She walked off toward the library again, smiling to herself. _That oughta do it._ She was almost to the door when all of a sudden she felt something almost come over her.

She stopped in her tracks. She stood there for just a moment, before turning slowly to look behind her.

Jacob was staring at her from the end of the hall.

* * *

Jacob walked into the hallway just in time to see Calli turn away from Chris and begin walking toward the library. Just before she reached the door she stopped. She turned around slowly, and he was staring into her eyes.

Her beauty was enough to almost knock the wind out of him. Every time he saw her so many different thoughts, so many different feelings, went through him. He welcomed them all; he delighted in them, instead of pushing them away.

The relief he felt every time he saw her was intensified, he was sure, by what happened between them last night. The longing to go to her was so strong. For the first time ever he looked at her and there was nothing in his mind telling him he couldn't be with her, telling him that it was wrong or that it wasn't possible.

And there never would be again. He wouldn't let there be. He was going to be with her, and what they were wasn't going to ever change that.

Calli just stared at him, unmoving, for a long time. Chris, finally snapping out of whatever Calli had done to him, turned and saw Jacob. He scowled as he saw that he and Calli were staring at each other.

But Jacob paid no attention. He began walking slowly to Calli, while she never moved. He stopped in front of her. They just looked at each other, not speaking.

Jacob finally broke the silence. "Can I talk to you?" He saw something in her eyes that resembled fear before they clouded over and she just nodded.

He turned to walk out of the hall and get away from the few people there. Calli followed, and they stepped outside into the light rain and made their way to an area that was covered.

Jacob turned and looked at Calli. She stared right back, her bright eyes scrutinizing him. All of a sudden he felt like he couldn't speak. What he felt when he looked at her was becoming more and more intense every time he did it.

An almost angry look came over Calli's face as she began to speak. "So, let me guess. That was just part of your job too. Or it just happened. It can never happen again, I'm your…"

Jacob reached out and pulled her to him, pressing his lips against hers. There was no resistance this time. She automatically reached up to wrap her arms around his neck and pulled him more firmly to her.

He lifted her off the ground and just held her there, moving his lips urgently against hers, and she responded the same. Everything in him told him this was right.

After a few minutes of this he slowly put her feet back to the ground and broke the kiss, breathing heavily, afraid of what he might do if he continued this way; too many thoughts and scenarios ran through his head. The way he responded to her was like nothing he had ever felt. It was strong, and urgent, and intense; and with every second he kissed her it only got stronger.

He continued to hold her and looked down at her beautiful face. She was also breathing heavily and kept her eyes closed for a moment before finally opening them and staring into his.

She moved her hands and placed them against his chest and moved her body slightly away. Her eyes still looked almost uncertain.

"I was afraid you were still going to leave," she finally said quietly.

"I'm not going anywhere," he replied huskily.

"I don't think I really understand what's going on."

Jacob paused for a second before he said it. "I love you. I'm not going to pretend I don't anymore, and I don't care what anyone thinks. I don't care how…different we are, none of that matters to me. All that matters is you, and I want to be with you."

Calli just stared at him in amazement before she responded. "But what about…"

"I don't care."

"You didn't even let me finish."

"Whatever it is I don't care anymore. I'm going to be with you. None of it matters."

Calli just stared, saying nothing.

"Do you love me Calli?"

Calli's eyes widened slightly before she began to turn her face away. Jacob put his hand to the side of her face and turned it back so she was looking into his eyes again.

He lowered his face to hers, his lips only inches away from hers. He felt her body press against his once again. "Do you love me?"

Calli looked into his eyes for a long time before responding. "I do," she said softly.

"Then that's the only thing that matters to me anymore." And with that he put his lips to hers again.

* * *

"Hello Jacob."

"Hey."

"How are you?"

"I'm fine."

Carlisle motioned for Jacob to take a seat. They both sat in silence for awhile before Carlisle finally spoke up. "I have a feeling you came here to tell me something."

Jacob took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I love Calli."

"Yes, I'm already aware of that."

"Yeah, I guess you are. But she is now too. And I'm going to be with her. I thought…that it would be…appropriate for me to come and tell you that."

"The pack?"

"They know."

"And how are they responding? Your father?"

Jacob sighed. "Well obviously they're not very happy about it. But that doesn't matter to me anymore. I pretended to hate Calli, I fought every one of my feelings for her because I was worried about what everyone would think…how they would feel. That they wouldn't understand. And I was miserable. I can't do that anymore."

"I suppose I don't need to tell you how difficult this will be."

"No. I already know. Whatever I have to do, I will. But, I thought…well, you're pretty much her family. There are so many people that won't be ok with this…"

"I like you Jacob. I don't care what you are, or what you're supposed to do. I like you, and I respect you. And I know that you care for Calli. I want her to be happy. And you too. If you two make each other happy, then that makes me happy. Of course I'm sure you know that some of the others in our family will have some trouble…adjusting."

"I know."

"But I'm going to tell them. They'll need to know because…well, I'm sure you may be around more now."

"Yeah. I guess that's probably a good idea." Jacob sighed and ran his hands over his face. "Well, I should go. I told Calli I'd be back by the end of her practice." Jacob stood and began to walk out.

He stopped and turned back to Carlisle. "Thanks a lot. For everything."

Carlisle smiled. "You're welcome. I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon."

* * *

Carlisle sat and looked around at everyone. Edward's face was grim.

"Well, I'm just going to come right out and say this," he began, shooting a glance at Bella. "Calli and Jacob are…together."

"Together? What do you mean? Like, 'together' together?" Emmett asked.

"Yes Emmett. They are...dating…I guess you could call it."

"Is this a joke?" Rosalie asked incredulously.

"No, it's not."

"That's insane! He's a werewolf, she's a vampire. That's not really a dating type of situation!" Emmett exploded.

"Calli is different than us, you know that. Look, I don't need to go into details. I don't even know details. What I do know is that they are together. And I'm sure that will mean," he glanced over at Bella, "that he will be around."

Emmett went to say something, but Carlisle held his hand up to stop him. "This is just the way it is going to be. It will be difficult, but we will have to deal with it. We have no right to tell Calli she can't be with who she wants. He will be around, and you are going to have to respect that."

"But it's just…wrong!" Rosalie exclaimed.

"What if someone had told you it was wrong to be with Emmett? Would you have listened?"

"Emmett's not a werewolf!"

"No, but he was a human. He was different from you when you found him. Did the fact that he was different make your feelings different? Were they wrong?" Carlisle questioned her. She didn't respond. "This is Calli's choice. You may not like it. But you do have to respect it. Will everyone be able to do that?"

There was silence for a few minutes.

"Yeah, I guess. Jacob's not too bad," Emmett finally said reluctantly.

Alice and Jasper nodded at Carlisle. "I kind of figured there was something there anyway," Alice murmured.

Rosalie looked at Carlisle, then over at Emmett. She turned back to Carlisle and nodded.

"Thank you. Now, if the rest of you don't mind, I'd like to speak with Edward and Bella alone."

They all began making their way out of the living room.

"Man, the place is gonna smell terrible," Emmett said as he walked up the stairs.

Edward and Bella sat on the couch. Edward stared at Carlisle, still looking grim. Carlisle stared at Bella, but she just looked away.

"Bella?" Carlisle asked softly.

She looked at him but said nothing.

"Are you going to be ok with this?"

Bella just stared before responding. "Is he happy?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, I think he is."

She smiled. "Then I will learn to be ok with it." She looked over at Edward and smiled. "I'm ok Edward."

Edward stroked her cheek and she leaned her face into his hand.

"Now Edward, I'd like to know why you lied to me."

"It wasn't for me to tell. It was private…I knew he didn't want anyone to know."

"What happened?"

Edward sighed. "When he first saw her he got upset and ran. Later he heard her scream. When he got to her, she had already been bitten. He blames himself."

Carlisle nodded. "I expected about as much when I started suspecting he had imprinted on her."

"Did he tell her that he imprinted?" Bella asked.

"He didn't say anything to me about that, but I get the feeling that he hasn't. I don't even think Calli knows what that is."

They all sat there for a minute, not speaking.

Carlisle finally stood. "Well, I need to get back to the hospital. I figured it would be better to tell everyone sooner rather than later. I didn't want there to be any surprises. I'll see you two later." And with that he left.

Edward took Bella's hand and kissed it. She looked at him and smiled.

"Are you really ok?"

Bella smiled. "I have you forever, which is what I want. Jacob is happy…and I want that too. I am ok…really."

* * *

Jacob walked into the gym and saw the girls rehearsing a routine. As soon as he saw Calli his heart started beating faster. Just the sight of her made him crazy. Of course what she was wearing didn't help the situation.

And when she danced she was way too irresistible. The longer he watched her the more intense the feelings became.

He moved his eyes from her and saw Chris on the other side of the gym staring at her. He felt a low growl deep in his chest. Just then the routine ended.

"Ok guys, we're done for the day. You were all really great." Calli looked over and saw Jacob. She smiled almost shyly at him and looked down. He saw Chris making his way toward Calli. Jacob smiled and walked to her quickly.

When he got to her he lifted her off the floor and kissed her firmly. He felt her automatically respond. She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled his face closer to hers.

"That was a nice…hello," she said, breathless when he finally released her.

He set her feet back on the floor but held her to him. "Well, I couldn't disappoint Chris," he said, looking behind Calli. When he caught Chris' eye he smiled and waved. Chris just glared and stormed out of the gym.

Jacob saw Calli suppress her laughter. "That was mean," she said, looking into his eyes. "Fun…but still mean."

"Mmm hmm," he said, leaning down and kissing her again.

When he pulled away she kept her eyes closed for just a moment. When she opened them she smiled at him. He just looked her over, breathing deeply.

"So…what do you think?"

"Huh?" he replied distractedly

"What do you think? You saw the routine, right?"

"Yeah," he said clearing his throat. "I think…that you should probably go change your clothes." He looked her up and down.

A look of confusion came over her face as she looked down at herself. Then a small smile came to her lips. She looked back up at Jacob. "What's wrong? You don't like them?"

Jacob swallowed hard. "That's not really the problem. Go change."

She laughed while she was walking to the locker room.

This felt so right, so natural. He had never felt so happy. All he wanted was to be with her like this forever. He felt completely at ease. He wanted to spend every moment with her.

She walked out of the locker room and over to him, smiling. He saw her smile more today than in the entire time he had known her. It was the smile he had been waiting for; the peaceful one he first saw on her in the forest.

He took her hand and pulled her close to him, wrapping his arm around her waist. They walked out to the parking lot and stopped in front of her car. She turned and looked him in the eye. Just with that he felt a little out of breath.

He leaned down and put his forehead to hers, looking into her eyes. "You have the most beautiful eyes. Well, the most beautiful everything really," he murmured.

She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. She opened them and reached up, putting her hand to his cheek. He felt something almost electric when she touched him.

"Do you have to go home?"

He smiled. "I'm not going anywhere."


	24. Chapter 24 The Truth

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

"Have you always danced?"

"I always loved dance. But I didn't actually start dancing in groups until I got older…not till I was a teenager."

Jacob was sitting back against the tree trunk, Calli sitting between his legs and leaning back against his chest. He stroked her hair, and she sighed, pressing herself closer to him.

"Did you always like cars?"

"As long as I can remember. I was just always really good with that stuff, engines and parts. I started trying to work on our car when I was really young. Of course, I wasn't as good at it then. My dad didn't like that very much," he finished with a big grin.

She laughed. "So now I have my own personal mechanic?"

Jacob put his lips to her ear. "You have your own personal everything," he whispered. He took his hand and put it to her cheek, running it from there down her neck slowly, reaching her arm. He trailed it down until he reached her knee, and then traced it slowly down her calf. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. He could feel her trembling slightly.

She cleared her throat and shook her head before opening her eyes. She stared at him, giving him a small smile. "Are you always so bad?" she asked softly.

"Mmm, only with you." He continued to trace his hand up and down her leg. "Are you?" he asked, looking at her with one eyebrow raised.

She turned her eyes away from him and looked forward again, leaning her head back against his chest. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not bad at all."

"Ha!"

She just smiled, still facing forward. "So, just with me, huh?"

"Just you."

"What about…umm…you know…other girls you've dated?" she asked, squirming a little.

Jacob just sat for a minute, not answering. Calli stayed facing forward the whole time.

He sighed, debating with himself a little before responding. "I only really dated one person…kind of. I don't really think you could call it dating. I liked her…she liked someone else. It never went anywhere. She was really the only one."

"Bella," Calli said softly.

He jerked slightly. "How did you know that? Did Carlisle tell you?"

"No one told me. No one had to. I could see it. In her, I mean…she got pretty uncomfortable anytime you were mentioned."

"Oh."

"Did you love her?" She looked down at the ground, concentrating hard on nothing.

It was Jacob's turn to squirm. Finally he just decided to answer. "Yes."

Calli smiled a little, but continued to look at the ground.

Jacob put his hand under her chin and moved her head until she was looking at him. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm glad you told me the truth," she said simply. "I think most people would lie."

"I didn't love her the way I love you. It's not even close." She smiled at him but stayed silent. "Does it bother you?"

She grinned and shook her head. "Something that happened before I even knew you? That would be kind of dumb of me. It doesn't bother me. I just want to know. I want to know everything."

They sat there staring into each others eyes.

He finally reached out and turned her body so she was facing him. He pulled her close and brought his face down just inches from hers. "You don't have any idea how much I love you."

"Yes I do," she whispered, and kissed him softly. She pulled away and looked into his eyes.

He took a deep breath, still stunned sometimes by her closeness. She trailed her finger down his cheek. He closed his eyes.

When he opened them he reached out and pulled her face to his, finding her lips and kissing her hard. He felt her melt into his arms and wrapped them around her tightly.

She reached up and put her hands around his neck, pulling herself closer to him and his lips harder to hers all at the same time. When the kiss ended she put her face to his neck, breathing hard. He closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath.

"If you keep doing that to me I'm going to go crazy," she murmured against his neck.

He trembled at the feel of her breath on his skin. "I think I might too," he said huskily. "But I can't say I'm gonna stop."

She lifted her head and smiled at him, the small smile she gave him that made him want to grab her all over again. She pulled herself up straight and sat Indian style, still between his legs.

Jacob cleared his throat. "So, since we're talking about dating…it's your turn."

She just stared at him for awhile before answering. "I've never dated anyone."

"Oh, come on. I promise I won't get mad."

She smiled. "And I promise I've never dated anyone."

"That can't be true. Look at you," he said, motioning to her. "I don't believe that there weren't guys lined up around the block.

She kept smiling, shaking her head. "I didn't say people never wanted to date me. I never wanted to date them."

"Why not?"

She looked down at the ground for a moment before raising her eyes to his. "I've never liked anyone. Never had feelings for anyone. I've never been very attracted to anyone. I didn't even really have friends. I liked being alone. I kept myself away from everyone. And I never minded it. Most of the guys who asked me out were losers anyway…to me at least. They were usually jocks who were shocked that I wasn't interested in the 'greatness that was them'."

She paused for a minute before she continued. "Then I met you. No, I can't even really say that. I saw you. And everything changed." At that last part she looked down, toying with something on the ground. Finally she looked up and smiled, shaking her head again. "You're actually my first kiss."

Jacob just stared at her in amazement. Not just because what she was saying about her life shocked him, but because what he could feel when she described seeing him. It still amazed him when he thought that her feelings for him were like his were for her.

He finally spoke up. "That's hard to believe. I would have expected you to be this really popular girl."

"Well, I'm glad I wasn't. Those are usually the girls I hate. They're ignorant and shallow…nothing important matters to them."

He looked at her intently. "Sometimes," he began slowly, "it's hard to believe you're eighteen and in high school."

At this her eyes widened slightly, but soon clouded over.

"You seem older. You're so…different. Different than how you look, different than what people expect."

"Well," she began, a small smile on her lips, "even if it weren't for the fact that you're ten feet tall, you seem older too."

Jacob laughed at that. "If you had met me about a year ago, you probably wouldn't say that. Aside from the fact that I wasn't as tall," he said with a big grin. "I think that…changing made me grow up a lot. Maybe faster than I should have." He frowned at that last part. "But you…you were already like that."

"Yeah, I guess," she said a little uncomfortably, looking away into the trees.

"What about your family Calli?" Jacob asked quietly.

"I don't have a family," she replied quickly, still looking away.

"But you must have once. I know you…"

"Please drop it Jacob," she said firmly, interrupting him.

He reached over and turned her face to his, looking at her intently. He waited a minute before speaking. "I'm only six foot six you know," he said lightly.

Calli laughed hard at that. "Gee, only six foot six, that's nothing. You're only, oh, a foot and a half taller than me. I'm a dwarf next to you!"

"I like that you're smaller than me," he said, keeping his hand on her face.

"Well yeah, if I was bigger than you I probably wouldn't like that much either. I'm still too short though."

"You're perfect." He dropped his hand from her face and took her hand in his.

"I only come up to your chest!"

"That's ok," he grinned. "I like lifting you up to me."

"Yeah, I kinda like that too," she said with a small smile.

He stood quickly and pulled her up with him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her up so her face was right next to his. "Like this?" he asked almost in a whisper, pulling her body closer to his.

"Mmm, something like that," she said softly.

He went to move his lips to hers, but she pulled her head slightly back. He looked at her; she had a big smile on her face. He went to kiss her again, but she pulled back further.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"I just thought maybe I oughta make you work for your kisses," she said, the smile still in place.

"I'm already lifting you up!"

"Yeah, but that's not work for you. You're a giant…I'm just a dwarf, remember," she said, her smile widening.

"So, what do you want me to do then?" he asked seductively.

She looked slightly flustered for a second, pulling her face a little closer to his. "Well, I guess I'm just a sucker. I'll probably end up kissing you first." With that she pressed her lips firmly to his.

Every time she kissed him he felt like he was going crazy. Everything in him responded to her. When she broke the kiss he was breathing heavily. She kept her lips right next to his.

"Jacob," she sighed on his lips.

He shuddered at that and kissed her again more passionately than the first time. He dropped to the ground, feeling her arms tighten around his neck.

He never broke the kiss, instead laying her on the ground and leaning over her. He put his hand to her cheek, running it up and down her face and neck. He felt her shudder, and she pulled his face even closer to hers, deepening the kiss.

Finally she broke it. She was breathing hard, and kept her eyes closed. When she opened them to stare into his they were wide. They had the same look in them he knew must be in his.

He fought to get his breathing under control, his heart racing a million miles a minute. He just stared right back at her. He finally looked away, afraid of what he might do otherwise.

"I guess it must have been a lot of work," she said breathlessly. "Looks like you got tired." She motioned to herself lying on the ground.

"That's not really the word I would use," he said, still trying to breathe normally. He sat up, and pulled her up to sit next to him. He stared into her eyes for what felt like forever.

"I think it's getting late," she said, looking up at the sky.

He sighed. "Yeah, I guess it is. Let's go." He stood, pulling her up with him. He wrapped his arm around her waist.

She wrapped both her arms around him and they walked the short distance through the forest to the house. They walked up the steps to the porch and stopped.

She turned to face him and looked up into his face. "Is this dating?" she asked softly.

"What?"

"Is this dating? To me dating has always meant some guy taking some girl to the movies, or to dinner or something. Is that what this is?"

"Do you want me to take you to the movies?" he asked, a little confused.

She laughed. "That's not what I mean," she said, smacking him lightly on the arm. "It doesn't…feel, like what we are is…dating, really."

Comprehension finally showed on his face. He bent down so his face was right next to hers. "It's much more than that," he said softly.

Just then Calli perked up, looking toward the door.

"What is it?"

"I can hear my phone ringing," she said, sounding puzzled, and opened the door.

"Ok," Jacob replied slowly.

"Hardly anyone has this number." She walked in and looked toward the living room. Carlisle and Esme were there, looking at her book bag.

"Do you hear that?" Calli asked.

"It's coming from your bag," Carlisle said

Jacob walked in behind her.

"Hello Jacob," Carlisle said as Calli walked to her bag and pulled the phone out, looking at it in confusion.

"Hey," Jacob replied, just as Calli answered the phone.

"Hello," she said, sounding as confused as she looked.

Jacob, Carlisle and Esme just watched her.

"Yes it is."

If her face had any color Jacob was sure it all would have left. Her expression quickly changed from confusion to shock. She just stood, listening for a minute, not saying anything.

"Did she give you this number?" she finally asked, her voice taking on a dull tone. "I didn't think she remembered it," she murmured. "Not that I know of. Yes, I am…sort of."

Emmett and Rosalie walked into the room. Rosalie only gave Jacob a slight glare, better than the first few times he had been there.

"Hey Jake," Emmett said.

But Jacob didn't respond. He just stood there, watching Calli carefully.

"No, I didn't know. Yes, I understand. Is she staying there? Ummm…I don't know. I think I might have to get back to you. Yes. Ok, thank you." Calli hung up the phone and just stared at it, a stunned look on her face.

"Calli?" Jacob asked. She didn't respond.

"Calli," Carlisle said softly, "what is it?"

She finally looked up, staring at Carlisle. "It was…a hospital. In Seattle," she paused. "My mom," she said in a whisper.

"What?"

Calli finally seemed to pull herself out of her trance. "My mom," she spoke up. "I guess she's sick. She's dying," she said, her eyes clouding over, her face becoming impassive. "She had this number. She gave it to her doctor." Calli looked from Carlisle to Jacob and then quickly away. She made her way over to the stairs.

"Calli," Jacob began.

"Calli wait," Carlisle said at the same time.

Calli turned to them, standing in front of the steps, a dazed look on her face.

"Calli, what happened?" Carlisle asked.

Jacob walked over to stand by her, taking her hand. She looked down at their intertwined hands, surprised, like she hadn't even noticed him coming to her.

"She's dying. Liver disease," she said.

"Are you…are you planning on going to see her?" Esme asked.

A slightly angry look came over Calli's face. "No," she said firmly, and went to walk up the stairs, but Jacob pulled her back to him. She looked at him briefly but then looked away.

"Calli," Carlisle began slowly. "I think it's time for you to tell us about your mother."

"No," Calli hissed. She pulled her hand from Jacob's and went to go upstairs.

"I have your medical records Calli," Carlisle said quickly.

Calli paused midstep. She turned slowly to look at him.

Jacob looked at Carlisle in confusion.

"So," she replied dully, trying to sound indifferent.

"You need to trust me Calli. You need to trust us. You must by now."

Calli just stared. Emmett and Rosalie looked back and forth between everyone.

"What are you talking about?" Jacob demanded.

"What do you even want to know? You have my records, obviously. Don't they say it all?" she spat angrily. She turned to walk away again.

"Seventeen emergency room visits in fourteen years," Carlisle said quietly.

Jacob looked at Carlisle, then up at Calli, a confused look on his face.

"So what? Bella probably had that many in the first year we knew her," Emmett said dismissively.

"Not those kinds of injuries," Edward hissed at him, walking in the room.

"Calli, you need to…"

"What?!" she shouted. "What do you want me to say? You have the records! Go ahead Carlisle!" she kept yelling. "Finish! A broken jaw! Four broken arms! A broken leg! You want to talk about the other ones too? Do you?!"

She paused, coming down a few steps, her face getting angrier and angrier. "You want me to tell you how my mom was a prostitute?! That she was an alcoholic, a drug addict? That she had more men in and out in a day then most people have in a lifetime?! Should I tell you the things she did to me? The things the men did?! Huh?"

She was shouting at the top of her lungs, shaking all over. "What, you don't have anything to say? This is what you wanted, right? You wanted to hear all about it!"

She looked around at Carlisle and Esme's shocked faces, at Emmett's open mouth, at Edward's grim expression. "Don't ask questions you don't really want the answers to!" she screamed, and ran up the stairs, slamming her door.

"Oh no," Rosalie breathed.

"Calm down Jacob," Edward said firmly.

Jacob was shaking, getting angrier by the second. As soon as Edward spoke to him he began taking deep breaths to calm himself down. Once he felt like he was under control he spoke. "No Carlisle," he said in a pained voice.

Carlisle sighed. "She needed to get it out. Even if she didn't know it, she did. I…I didn't mean for it to happen exactly like that. But it needed to happen."

"What were the other injuries?" Jacob growled.

Carlisle looked him directly in the eye. "You don't want to know Jacob," he said quietly.


	25. Chapter 25 Closing doors

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stepenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Calli stood outside the door and took a deep breath. She reached for the handle and then dropped her hand and resumed her pacing.

Every time she reached for the door she just couldn't do it. She was afraid of what this would open up.

The night before last had torn open wounds she had always meant to keep closed. She buried that part of her life a long time ago. She never wanted to have to deal with it, to confront it.

But after that night, after everyone found out, she didn't feel like she had much of a choice. That part refused to stay hidden now. It felt like it was clawing its way out.

So that's why she was here, standing outside of her mother's hospital room. She had never really planned on seeing her again. She left three years ago and had only seen her a handful of times since then. They were never pleasant; she doubted this visit would be either.

But Calli knew she needed to be here now. She had thought about it for endless hours after getting the call. Her mother was dying. Before that happened she knew she needed to close this once and for all.

She wasn't doing this for her mother. She didn't love her anymore; she couldn't recall if she had ever loved her much at all. She couldn't say she was sad or upset that she was dying. She barely knew the woman, and what she did know she wished she didn't. But it was like the situation was a door Calli needed to close now, while she still had the chance.

She had no idea how her mother would react to seeing her. She thought that there was a chance she might not even recognize her. As long as Calli could remember she had been drunk or high. She didn't think that much of anything had changed in the last three years.

Calli stopped pacing and stood in front of the door again. She reached her hand out but dropped it quickly. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She knew she needed to get this over with. She wasn't leaving until she went in there.

Finally she just reached out and opened the door. She stepped slowly inside. There was a wall directly to her right that extended in front of her so she couldn't yet see the bed.

She took a deep breath and walked along the wall, finally coming to the end of the short hall. To the right there was a hospital bed.

And on the bed was a shriveled version of her mother. She hardly recognized her. She looked so old, though Calli knew she was only thirty seven. It amazed her to think of that; this woman looked as if she was were at least in her fifties. She was tiny; Calli guessed less than a hundred pounds. Her face was slightly wrinkled and very tired looking. Her skin had a yellow tint to it. Her hair was scraggly and now had some gray running through it.

Calli remembered back to her childhood. Her mother drank and did drugs then too, but she still had some of her natural beauty left then. She had been about five foot eight, with long, thick brown hair and dark brown eyes. Although she didn't have dark skin, her skin did have a slight olive tone to it. She had been at least twenty pounds heavier than she was now. Calli didn't look much like her.

But the woman in front of her barely resembled that picture. This woman looked like she could be her grandmother. She had her eyes on the tv, watching some kind of game show. She didn't even notice Calli when she first came in. Finally she must have spotted her from the corner of her eye, because her head jerked in Calli's direction and she just stared, her jaw dropping slightly.

"Calli," she finally croaked out. It wasn't a question or a statement of surprise; it was just a fact, said simply in a raspy voice.

Calli just stood there looking at her, saying nothing.

Her mom reached over to the side of the bed and pressed a button to raise the top portion until she looked as if she were sitting. She turned off the tv and continued staring at Calli.

"I didn't really think you would come," she said, still in the raspy voice that Calli figured must be pretty permanent.

"Well I don't really want to be here," Calli said in a dull voice.

"Didn't figure you did," she replied, looking away and focusing on a spot on the wall.

"I'm surprised you even remembered that number."

"About one of the only things I do really remember too well."

"Lucky you," Calli said icily.

"So why are you here?" she asked, turning her eyes back to Calli.

"Because there are things I need to put behind me before you die," Calli replied, looking her straight in the eye.

"Yeah…I guess that's fair. Well, go ahead. I promise to answer best I can."

Calli took a deep breath. She felt like there were a million things to say. Part of her wanted to scream; the other part wanted to ask all the questions she felt she needed answered. She decided it would probably be best, at least for now, to go with the questions. She walked to the chair in the room and sat down. "What happened to you?"

"You mean how'd I get sick? I woulda thought it was obvious."

"No, that's not what I mean. I lived with you for fourteen years and I don't know anything about you. Why are you the way you are? What happened to you?"

Her mother sighed and began coughing. She composed herself and then answered. "Guess it would be better if I had some kind of sob story, beatings, broken home and all that. But I don't. I grew up in Idaho…my daddy owned a farm there. I was a farm girl. Had two brothers and two sisters, I was four of five. Lived on that farm my whole life. I hated it there. It was so boring. I just had big dreams of gettin' outta there and into a big city. After I graduated I just took off, came to Seattle. I was seventeen, same age as you. I never went back, never even talked to 'em again. I just took a bunch of crap jobs out here, never really did too much with myself I guess…" she trailed off.

Calli just stared at her in amazement. It was a few minutes before she could speak. "You know what, let's just forget the fact that I'm your damn daughter and I didn't know any of that. What did you just tell me that explains what you were…what you are? The things you did?" she said angrily.

"Don't know, I suppose. I wasn't always like that. I did ok my first year or so. Not great, I was dirt poor, but I did ok. I was young, pretty naïve too. Big city life wasn't all I thought it'd be. Then I met your daddy and…"

Calli's head jerked up. "Wait. Are you telling me you know who my father is? You always told me when I was little that you didn't know."

"Wasn't much to tell. I know who he was. I could tell you what he looked like, his first name and all that. But I didn't know him too well. Couldn't give you anything that woulda helped you find him."

Calli blinked a few times, looking a little dazed.

"Anyways, I met him. He was my big city dream guy I was waitin for. At least I thought he was. But he wasn't around for too long. Took off before I even knew I was pregnant with you."

Her mother stared at her for a minute, scrutinizing her. "You look a lot like him. Well, you always looked more like him than you did me. But now that you're older. Damn, you just look so much alike. Too good looking for your own good. He was like that too. People just stared at him, couldn't pull their eyes away."

She paused for a minute before going on. "I was pretty sad when he left. Devastated, I guess. When I found out I was havin' you, I just didn't know what to do. Thought about goin' home, but I couldn't imagine my folks bein' too happy at havin' me back. So I stayed, workin' all the time through the pregnancy, and the whole first year after you were born. But I was always kinda depressed, I guess." she sighed. "And I guess that's kinda what led up to everything else."

Calli looked at her with narrowed eyes. "Do you even remember the crap that happened when I was a kid?"

"I guess I don't remember it in too much detail. I remember enough to know it was some bad stuff."

"Some bad…stuff?" Calli practically hissed. "You left home because you were _bored_ with your poor farmer girl life. I left so I wouldn't get beat to freaking death! So I didn't have to hold a pillow over my head to block out the sounds of you and some guy! So I didn't have to worry about what that guy might do to me! That's not just some bad stuff!"

Thunder roared loudly outside and Calli's eyes darted to the window. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself down.

"I'm not proud of all the stuff I've done. I look at my life and I'm not too sure how it got to where it got. So I guess I don't have too much of an explanation for you."

Calli opened her eyes and looked at her mother, saying nothing.

"I wasn't ready for a kid. Probly shoulda given you up. Or gone back to my folks. I wish I could go back and do some things different. But I can't."

"No, you can't," Calli spat at her.

She just sighed. "But you look like you're doin' alright for yourself."

"Don't think for one second that you contributed to that whatsoever. I moved out when I was fourteen! Do you know what that's like? No, because your parents actually took care of you. You know, it would have made a lot more sense if you had something, anything, terrible in your life. But there wasn't! Not that you've told me, at least. It was just boring. Well, you know what? I would have taken your boring life any day over the one you gave me!"

Her mother just looked away, saying nothing.

Calli took a deep breath. "What was his name?"

"Huh?" her mother asked, confused.

"My father. What was his name?"

"James."

"Anything else?"

"Didn't know much about him. Can't really tell you anything else."

Calli waited a few minutes before speaking again. "So is this the first time you've been sober?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Not a lotta fun the first few days. But it's a little better now."

Calli looked at her, scrutinizing, debating. "Was it worth it? Any of it? The drinking, the drugs, the men. Was any of it worth it?"

"I don't have much to compare it to. I remember when I was young and I would think what my life was gonna be like when I got away, when I came to the city. When I think of those things, when I think of maybe watchin' you grow up and raisin' you right, I guess it wasn't. Guess it's just hard to imagine myself with any other kinda life than the one I had."

"And now that you're dying? Now how do you feel?"

"Not too much of anything, I suppose. I got some regrets. I'm not sad about it or anything like that. I don't have much to stick around for. It's kind of a relief in some ways."

"Why? Do you think you're going somewhere better?"

"I don't know about better. Probly easier though. Don't you? Don't you wonder about where you'll go when you die?"

Calli almost laughed out loud at the irony in that. "No, not really."

"Well, the doctor doesn't think I got too much time left. Maybe another couple weeks."

"Yeah, I know."

"How do you feel about it? What do you think?"

Calli looked her mother right in the eye. "Nothing. I don't feel anything. I hardly even know you…we demonstrated that perfectly today. I learned to live without you when I was just a little girl. It's not much of a change for me."

"No. Didn't really expect much more than that."

Calli swallowed hard before she asked the next question. "Did you…" She paused, finding it difficult to go on. Her mother just looked at her. "Did you even love me?" she finally got out in a rushed voice.

Her mother stared at her for a long time before answering. "When you were a baby, first born, I would hold you and look at you. I kept waitin' for that mothering instinct, or whatever it is, to kick in."

She looked down at the floor. "It never did. I think, then, and for a long time, it was easier for me to tell myself that there was somethin' wrong with you than admit there was somethin' wrong with me. Just wasn't in me, I guess."

Calli sat for a long time, breathing hard, not really sure how she felt about that. She decided to just change the subject instead of pursuing it.

"Are your things still in the apartment?" she finally asked.

"Yeah, they're there. I only been here a couple weeks. I was just gonna call the landlady and tell her to clear the place out."

"I'll go and tell her today."

There was silence in the room for a few minutes.

"I don't know that there's much more for us to say to each other," Calli said.

"No, I guess there isn't."

Calli stood. "I won't be coming back."

Her mother sighed. "I know you won't."

Calli began walking to the door.

"Calli?"

Calli turned to look at her.

"Are you happy?" she asked quietly.

Calli just stared for a minute before answering. "All things considered? Yeah, I'm pretty happy."

Her mother stared back, her face impassive. "I'm glad."

Calli kept staring for a minute before responding. "I forgive you. Not because I think you deserve it, or because you're dying. But because I can't go for the rest of eternity hating you."

"Eternity's a long time. Don't you mean the rest of your life?"

Calli smiled a small, sad smile. "It is a long time. That's why I'm here. Bye mom." And she walked out of the room.

She made it out of the hospital before all the emotion caught up with her. She felt like she might explode. She sat down on a bench, putting her head in her hands and breathing deeply.

It took a long time for her to calm her nerves to a reasonable level; even then she felt terrible. She made her way shakily to her car and got in, just sitting there for awhile, her head leaning on the steering wheel.

After sitting there like that for quite a bit she started the car and took the familiar streets to her mother's apartment. She made her way slowly up the stairs and just stood outside of the door, staring.

She wasn't sure how she would feel being inside. Her mother had been in this apartment for as long as she could remember. She finally inserted the key she had always kept into the lock and opened the door.

The place was just as dingy as she remembered, the furniture old and worn. But just as always, everything was in its exact place. That was the only thing she could think of that she had gotten from her mother. They were both extremely meticulous about everything being in its place. This had always amazed her growing up, that someone like her mother was so neat.

She stepped inside and closed the door. She walked around the small front room, examining everything she remembered from her childhood; nothing had changed. Memories tried to push their way out; memories she didn't want to face. She shoved them out of her mind, not sure she could deal with those too.

She walked into the one bedroom and just stood in the middle of the room, staring. Finally she went to the closet and began making her way through her mother's things. She found a box of papers and pulled out the ones she felt she should keep.

She went through everything in the place, but didn't find much. All she decided to keep were the papers she found. She walked over to the tattered couch and sat down, putting her head in her hands and breathing deeply once again.

It hurt. As much as she didn't want it to, as much as she didn't want to admit it, it hurt her. Everything that had happened to her at her mother's hands was as resolved as it was ever going to be. But Calli still didn't feel like she had any real answers. She expected her mother to give her a story like she had. Calli felt like that would at least make some kind of sense of it all.

But her mother's life had been nothing like her own. And she didn't understand how it turned out the way it had.

She lay back on the couch and closed her eyes, trying to force the thoughts that made her head feel like exploding to go away. She breathed deeply and tried to push them back.

She began relaxing a little and kept taking deep, calming breaths, surprised she actually felt sort of comfortable in this place. It held so many painful things for her that she never thought she'd be able to relax here.

* * *

Calli was walking through the forest along a now familiar path. When she got to the clearing there was no one there. She just stood there, waiting, until other Calli came and joined her.

"Where is he?" Calli asked.

Other Calli smiled. "He's not here."

"Why not?"

"Well, actually," other Calli began conspiratorially, leaning over to whisper in her ear, "you are sort of worrying him."

"Because I know now what he was doing? In my head, I mean."

"Oh no, he knew you would figure that out eventually."

"Well then why?"

"Mmm, I can't really tell you that. But I think you can figure it out," she said, smiling wide.

There was silence for a few minutes.

"You took my advice. You have been practicing very hard."

"I guess so."

"Calli, your day is very close. I don't know if you're ready. I don't know if you ever can be."

"What day? I don't understand. Can't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry. But there are others…they know what I speak of, even if they don't exactly know that they know it."

"You're not making any sense to me."

Other Calli turned Calli to face her, putting both hands on her shoulders. "I won't be here much longer. Listen to me. You are going to have tough times ahead of you. You need to make the right decisions. Your head will tell you one thing while your heart tells you another. Make sure you listen to the right one. If you don't, you may not get through this."

"What do you mean? Which one should I listen to then?"

"You know. You may not think you do, but you do. Listen. Always be sure to listen. Not just to me. To the others. They're in your life for a reason. And they will tell you things for a reason. Listen to them Calli." She turned to walk away.

"Wait!"

Other Calli turned slightly. "No more waiting Calli. My time with you is coming to an end, and I will have to be going."

"But you're a part of me!"

Other Calli gave her a small smile. "Yes. But not the part that belongs to you." She turned and disappeared into the forest.

Calli just stood in the clearing, waiting; but nothing happened. No one ever came. She began walking into the forest.

* * *

Calli woke with a start. She sat up quickly, looking around in confusion. She thought she might still be dreaming until she remembered that she had come to her mother's apartment.

She stood up and walked into the small kitchen, looking at the clock. _One a.m.!_ She went to the door quickly to leave, and then remembered that she was supposed to tell the landlady about the apartment. She went back to the kitchen to get a pen and paper and wrote her a quick note, taping it to her door as she hurried to her car.

She drove as quickly as she dared back to Forks, spending the time analyzing her dream. It had to have been one of the most uneventful ones she had experienced in a long time.

The man had not even come. Other Calli told her the man was worried. But she didn't understand why. She hardly understood anything that she had said. That was the first time she slept since she had told Carlisle about the dreams. She was sure he wouldn't be too happy that she had, even if the man hadn't made an appearance.

The whole way home she tried to make sense of what other Calli had told her, but she couldn't. She wondered over and over again what this big day was that Calli kept warning her about.

By the time she pulled up to the house her head felt like it couldn't fit one more thing. Between the day with her mother and the dreams she couldn't make sense of, she felt like it might burst. She got out of the car and began making her way slowly to the porch, hoping no one would be waiting to question her.

"Calli," she heard a deep voice say.

She turned around to see a man standing there. He was kind of in the shadows, making it a little hard to see him. Calli could tell he looked a lot like Jacob, but he was smaller, and she could see his hair was much shorter.

"Yes," she said, almost hesitantly. "Who are you?"

He stepped out of the shadows. She could now see his face. He had an angry, almost menacing expression.

"I'm Paul."


	26. Chapter 26 The Fight

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come form her Twilight series._**

**A/N- I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I hope you enjoy it! And thanks for all your great reviews!**

* * *

Jacob sat by the phone, waiting for her to call. It was four in the morning. She should have been home by now. He was worried, not just about her safety, but about how she would be after seeing her mother.

Hearing about those things that she had gone through had killed him. It made him want to kill someone else. No wonder she hadn't wanted to talk about her family. He had been surprised when she told them she was going to go see her mother.

But Carlisle hadn't been surprised at all. After she left he talked to Jacob, telling him that Calli had a long time to live; she couldn't carry that around forever. One way or another it had to be resolved.

Jacob tried desperately to convince her to let him go along. But she had insisted she needed to do this by herself. That had been earlier this afternoon. Well, early yesterday afternoon technically. He couldn't understand why she wasn't back yet.

Carlisle said he would make sure she called him when she got back. He had been waiting there for her, but it had gotten late, and he knew it would be better for his situation if he went home.

Things had been really tense with his dad since he found out about Calli. They barely said two words to each other. They couldn't be in the same room together for very long; one of them would always get up and leave. He hated that things were like this.

But he knew he couldn't make his dad understand, that trying to explain it to him would probably make things worse.

And of course most of the pack wasn't happy with him. Sam, Embry, and Quil stuck by him from the beginning. He had been a little surprised at that; he really expected them all to hate him. Jared was a little more understanding than the rest of them; he was the only one of the others who had imprinted, which Jacob thought was the reason for that.

Paul was still extremely angry, and the few times Jacob had seen him Paul started running his mouth again. Jacob told him if he knew what was good for him he would keep his mouth shut or stay away.

Leah was just as angry as Paul, trying several times to tell Jacob how stupid he was being, and telling Sam over and over that he needed to put a stop to it. Sam just kept telling them that it was Jacob's decision, and they needed to stay out of it.

But Billy just kept quiet, not saying anything at all. Jacob almost thought that was worse than if he were yelling at him.

"What are you doing?"

He turned, surprised, to see his dad there in the doorway. He didn't look like he had slept much.

Jacob cleared his throat. "I'm just…waiting…for a phone call."

"Calli?"

"Yeah," Jacob said, looking away.

"I don't like the way things are with us Jake."

"I know dad. I don't either," he said, looking back at him

"I'm not going to pretend that I'm not upset. Or that I remotely understand this. Or accept it." He paused. "But I can't deny what I can see. I can see how…happy you are. How different you are. Not just from when you were going through all of that with Bella, but different from how you've ever been."

"You're not a boy…you're a man. I can't tell you what decisions you should make. I guess I can't tell you who you can love either." He stopped and looked intently at Jacob. "I guess what I'm saying is…we at least have to call a truce. I will accept that you have to make your own decisions. Even if I don't like them…you're my son. And I will be as…ok as I can. For you."

Jacob looked at him in amazement. He felt a little choked up as he answered. "Thanks dad."

There were a few minutes of silence before Billy spoke up again. "Now, you do realize you have school in a couple…"

Just then the door burst open. Sam came in with Jared, looking frantic. "We have to go now Jacob," Sam said in a hurried voice.

"What's wrong?" Jacob asked, jumping up.

"It's Paul…and Calli."

* * *

"Are you…a friend of Jacob's?" she asked, backing away from him a little.

"Yeah, something like that," he sneered.

"Why are you here?"

"Just thought I would pay you a little visit. You and Jake being so close and all." He walked forward a little.

"Well, I really need to…"

"No, stay…let's talk," he said, interrupting her.

Calli swallowed hard. "What do you want to talk about?"

"You and Jake, of course. Now, you can't tell me that you think you two are…right for each other," he scoffed. "That this is actually going to last."

"I really don't think I need to be talking about this with you."

"Have you ever seen Jake phase? You know, become a wolf?" he asked, stepping forward again.

"No," she replied slowly.

"That's too bad. It's pretty amazing. Now, you do know what werewolves do, right?"

"I think you'd better leave." She tried to make her voice authoritative, but it came out a little shaky.

"Well, in case you don't know, I'll tell you. Werewolves kill vampires. Leeches, bloodsuckers. That's what you are," he sneered. "Now, we actually have a treaty with the Cullen's…we're not allowed to just go and kill them. I guess that would include you now too, since you belong to their…family." He said that last word laughingly.

He began walking forward. "But that treaty only stands if they hold up their end. If you hold up your end. And you, you filthy little bloodsucker, crossed onto _our _land!" he spat angrily.

"If I were you I would stop walking forward," Calli said, trying to make her voice menacing. "I know what you do. Do you know what I can do?"

"Oh, that's right. You're a _witch_, right? Well go ahead, show me then," he said, still progressing forward. "I guess you are different. Can't even smell you like I can the rest of them. Doesn't make you less of a leech though."

Calli walked backward, concentrating hard, trying to hold him back.

But it didn't work. He continued forward. Finally he stopped. Calli sighed with relief.

"Well? Aren't you going to show me what you can do?"

"Calli," she heard from behind her.

She turned to see Edward standing there, looking a little confused.

"What's going on here? What do you think you're doing?" he asked angrily, looking at Paul.

"Just visiting with Calli here. See, Calli broke our treaty, crossed onto our land. So now…I can kill her."

Calli looked back at Edward with wide eyes. He stared back, a questioning expression on his face.

Just then she heard a loud, harsh sound like something was tearing apart. She looked back at Paul.

But he wasn't there. Standing in his place was a huge wolf, growling in her direction. It was gigantic, standing as tall as her on all fours.

She heard a fierce growl from behind her and turned to see Edward, his lip curled, his face angry, coming down the stairs. She turned to see Paul coming closer to her slowly. He crouched down.

"Calli, do something!" Edward yelled.

"I can't!"

He just looked at her for a second before he dodged in front of her. "If he gets close to you, dodge him and run. Keep dodging and running!"

Edward and the wolf were circling each other, both growling.

"Edward!"

Edward and Calli both turned around when they heard his name called. Bella was standing in the open doorway, watching the scene in front of her with wide eyes and a shocked expression.

"Bella, get back inside!" Edward ordered.

Calli turned back just as the wolf darted around Edward and came at her. She tried to jump back but felt something tear on her arm. She screamed in pain and automatically kicked out as hard as she could, feeling her foot make contact with the wolf. He flew back onto the ground.

She also fell to the ground and looked back at the porch, seeing Bella in the open doorway. Just then an idea came to her.

Bella was pushed backward, falling down and freeing up the doorway. Calli concentrated on the coffee table she could now see. It flew through the air out the door and across the porch, and before she knew it the table made contact with the wolf, cracking loudly and knocking him down.

He jumped up, growling fiercely. Calli concentrated on what was left of the table, putting it between the two of them. But most of it was in pieces now and the remaining part was small. She scrambled to stand and looked forward just as he leapt at her. She screamed again.

Just then something flew through the air and collided with Paul. They fell to the ground, tangled, both growling menacingly. Calli could now see that it was another wolf. This one was much shaggier than Paul was, and its fur was a different color.

They rolled around for a moment before jumping up. They began circling each other, growling menacingly. Calli looked on with wide eyes, backing away from them. She turned back to see that everyone was out on the porch now, watching what was happening.

"Stop now Paul!" she heard a deep voice yell from the edge of the trees. She turned to see another man who looked like Jacob, just as big but also with shorter hair. There was another man with him who just stared at Calli. He was smaller than the other man but had the same short hair. They came forward quickly.

Calli looked to see that Paul had stopped moving. But the other wolf kept growling and charged at him, knocking him down.

"No Jake!" the same man yelled.

Calli stared at the two wolves, a look of disbelief coming over her face.

_Jacob._ The other wolf was Jacob.

Paul got up and backed away, but continued to growl at Jacob. Jacob charged him once again.

"Jacob, no!" Calli screamed. The wolf, Jacob, stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Calli. He stared for a minute; she looked into his eyes and shook her head. Finally he turned and darted into the trees. Calli watched him run away.

Jacob came out of the trees just a few seconds later, wearing only a pair of black sweatpants. "If you ever come near her again I am going to rip you to pieces, do you understand me?! I swear I will kill you!" he roared, walking close to Paul. Paul growled menacingly.

"Don't you dare Paul!" the man shouted.

The Paul wolf darted into the trees, coming out dressed similarly to Jacob. "She broke the treaty!" he shouted at the man who had been giving orders. "What are you going to do about that, huh?!"

Jacob walked over to Paul and punched him hard in the face. Paul reeled back, catching himself quickly and hitting Jacob right back in the jaw. Jacob bounced back even quicker and got ready to punch him again. They both hit so hard that Calli thought their faces should be broken.

"Calli, your arm!" Alice exclaimed, running down to her.

Calli looked down at her arm to see the large gash that Paul had ripped in it, finally feeling the pain again now that she remembered. She had only been concentrating on the fight in front of her. She pulled her arm to her chest and gripped it tightly, wincing.

Jacob glanced back at her and spotted the gash, his face getting even angrier than it already was.

He turned back to Paul. "You bit her?! You stupid son of…" he didn't finish the sentence, instead punching Paul again. This time Paul fell to the ground.

"Let me see Calli," Carlisle said, already at her side and pulling at her arm to examine it. But Calli was watching Jacob grow more and more furious. He went to kick Paul, who was scrambling to get off the ground.

"Jacob!" Calli screamed. He paused for a second to look at her. "It's ok!"

"It is not ok!" he roared, turning back to Paul, who had made it to his feet. Paul landed a punch to Jacob's face. Jacob pulled his arm back, ready to hit him again.

"Jacob, look at me!"

Jacob stopped and turned his face to her. Paul took the opportunity to hit him. Calli concentrated on the biggest piece of the table that was left and hurled it at Paul, who went to the ground once again. Jacob began going toward him.

"Look at me Jacob!" she screamed. He turned toward her again and she pulled her arm out of Carlisle's grasp. She put her hand from her other arm over the gash and looked down at it for a moment. Then she looked back up at Jacob and moved her hand.

The gash was gone. There wasn't a mark on her.

Jacob stared, his eyes growing wide. Paul's face mirrored his, still on the ground.

Carlisle just stared at her in amazement.

"Holy crap," the guy next to the one who was giving orders muttered. The man who was giving orders stared at her too.

Calli's eyes stayed on Jacob. "I'm ok," she said softly.

Jacob looked at her for another minute before he turned back around to Paul. "You better listen to me. If you come anywhere near Calli again, if you so much as think about hurting her again and I hear about it, I am going to kill you. I will do it. Do you understand?" He stared Paul down. Paul glared back at him.

Jacob turned and walked over to the man who had been giving orders. Now that Calli could think again she knew he must be Sam. He said something to Sam and then began walking quickly to Calli.

"Come on Paul. Now!" Sam ordered. Paul glared at Jacob again and got up, making his way over to Sam.

"Come here," Jacob said as he put his hands to the sides of Calli's face. "Are you alright?" he asked anxiously.

"I'm ok," she said shakily. He pulled her to him and held her close.

"Sam?" Carlisle said firmly.

Sam turned and looked at Carlisle.

"If he threatens Calli again, I will kill him myself. Please be sure he understands that," Carlisle said in a calm voice that still came across as menacing.

Sam just nodded and turned to walk into the forest, the other man at his side and Paul behind him. He gave Jacob one more glare before disappearing into the trees.

"Let me see your arm again Calli," he said, lifting it before she even responded. Jacob pulled away from her slightly. Carlisle looked at her arm in amazement. He looked up into her face. "How long have you known you can do this?"

"I don't know. A couple weeks maybe," she said, her voice still shaky.

"Amazing," Carlisle muttered. "I don't think I ever expected anything like this."

"I…just want to go inside," she said quietly. She went to take a step toward the house but stumbled slightly. Jacob held onto her tighter.

"I think I should take her upstairs now," Jacob said firmly. He began walking her up the steps.

"Calli?"

Calli turned to look at Carlisle.

"Did you break the treaty? Did you go onto their land?"

Calli opened her mouth to answer.

"It was me…it was my fault," Jacob said before she could respond.

She turned to stare at him, but he kept looking at Carlisle.

"Why didn't you do something to Paul Calli?" Edward asked.

"I…I tried. I couldn't. It didn't work," she replied warily.

"It didn't work?" Carlisle asked, sounding puzzled. "Is Paul the only person it's never worked on before? What about Jacob?"

"I don't know. I've never tried to use anything on Jacob," she said simply.

"Never?" Carlisle asked.

"Never."

"Just do me a favor Calli, try right now. Try to read his mind…something like that."

"I am not going…"

"It's ok Calli," Jacob said, interrupting her. "Do it."

Calli sighed, glaring at Carlisle for a moment and then turning to stare at Jacob. She concentrated hard, looking into his eyes.

"It's not working," she said after a minute.

"Your powers don't work on werewolves," Carlisle said thoughtfully.

Calli just looked down at the ground.

"I'm taking her upstairs now," Jacob said and pulled Calli closer to his side, walking her through the doorway and into the house, then up the stairs.

They walked into her bedroom and she pulled away, walking over to the bed and collapsing onto it.

Jacob closed the door and walked over to her, bending down and kneeling in front of her. He put his hand on her cheek. "Calli, are you ok?"

She nodded weakly, looking into his eyes.

He kissed her quickly but firmly on the lips, then pulled her into a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry Calli. I'm so sorry, I…"

Calli pulled out of the embrace and looked him in the eye. She put her finger to his lips. "Shh, it's not your fault. It's ok, I'm ok."

"It is my…"

She put her hands on his shoulders, finally realizing that he was still only dressed in a pair of sweatpants, no shirt. His skin felt so warm against hers. "No Jacob. It's not your fault. We knew this would be…hard." She looked down at the ground. "He's right. I did break the treaty," she said quietly.

"No!" Jacob said firmly, pulling her face close to his, forcing her to look him in the eye. "This is not your fault! Don't even try to say it is."

"Then you don't either," she challenged.

"I should have been here," he murmured.

"It doesn't matter Jacob. I'm ok. You're ok. Well, I think you're ok. Does your face hurt?" she asked, touching it gingerly with her fingers.

He chuckled. "No, it's ok. What about your arm?" he asked, pulling it up to examine it closer.

She shook her head, keeping her hand on his cheek.

He closed his eyes and pressed his face into her touch. "I missed you today," he whispered, opening his eyes.

She smiled. "I missed you too."

He stared into her eyes for a minute, then stood and sat next to her on the bed. He took her hand. "Are you really ok? I mean, about everything that happened today."

She shook her head and a pained look came over her face. "I…I don't know. I guess I'm as ok as I'm ever going to be. I just…I thought that going there would give me some answers. I didn't know anything about my mother's life. Nothing. And what she told me today…I thought when I did know, it would help explain why she was the way she was. But it didn't."

"She just had this ordinary life. I asked her if she even loved me…she gave me some line about how her mothering instincts never kicked in with me. How she told herself there was something wrong with me when I was growing up, instead of there being something wrong with her. I don't know. I don't really feel like I got any real answers. But at least I went, I guess."

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," he said softly, squeezing her hand.

She gave him a small smile. "I think being attacked by a werewolf was easier than dealing with my mom." She tried to make her voice sound light.

"Not funny," he said in a serious tone. "I'm still considering murdering Paul." His voice was menacing.

"You're a pretty tough looking wolf. I definitely think you could've taken him."

"He comes near you again and we're gonna find out," he muttered. "Did I…did I scare you? When I was a wolf?" he asked carefully.

Calli paused before answering. "When I was watching you guys, at first, I didn't even know it was you. I guess I really should have, but I didn't, not until Sam yelled your name. When I realized it was you, do you know what I felt?"

He shook his head, looking nervous.

"I felt that same relief I always feel after it's been too long and I see you again." She smiled. "And, I guess I felt kinda scared."

She saw a flicker of fear on his face. She smiled again. "But I was only scared that you might get hurt," she finished softly.

"I'm not going to get hurt. And no one is ever going to touch you again," he said fiercely.

They sat together staring at each other for a long time.

"School is gonna start soon," Jacob murmured.

Calli sighed. "I don't think I'll be going to school today. But I do think that I need a shower. I'm pretty dirty," she said, running her fingers through her hair.

"I'm going to wait for you," he said firmly.

Calli looked at him and smiled, then leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips. "Good," she whispered.

She stood up and got some clothes together and went to the bathroom, showering quickly and towel drying her hair, leaving it damp. She dressed in sweat pants and a t shirt and went back to her room.

Jacob was lying back on her bed, but sat up when she walked in. She smiled at the image of him there waiting for her. She crossed the room quickly and he grabbed her, kissing her intensely. She wrapped her arms around him and he pulled her closer.

When they broke the kiss he laid back, pulling her with him. She pressed herself against his chest and sighed.

"You're so warm," she murmured.

Jacob looked into her eyes, smiling. Then he leaned down and kissed her gently.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Edward asked softly when they were back in their room.

Bella looked over at him. His face was etched with concern. She walked to him and took his hand. "I've gotten…a lot more used to the idea of Jacob and Calli over the last couple weeks. It's still weird. I don't know if I'll ever be totally ok with it." She smiled at him. "But that's not why I was down there tonight. I was down there because I was worried about you."

Edward smiled his crooked smile at her. "One werewolf isn't going to hurt me."

"I guess Paul wasn't really trying to hurt you though," she said thoughtfully. "If it's true…if she broke the treaty. Then Paul wasn't really wrong, was he?"

"No, I suppose he wasn't. But I don't think he'll get anywhere near her again."

"No, I guess he probably won't," she replied, still looking thoughtful.


	27. Chapter 27 Jealous Much

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few. belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- This chapter is named after one of my favorite reviewers. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

* * *

"What's the worst part?"

"The worst?" Calli repeated. "Uh, definitely the diet," she said uncomfortably.

"Right," Jacob said. "Guess I knew that one. Ok, so what's the best part?"

"The best part? I don't know if there even is one."

"Having powers has to be kinda cool."

Calli sighed. "I guess. I don't use them all that much though. It makes me feel…I don't know. Weird, like I'm not…you know."

She looked thoughtful for a minute. "I guess sometimes it's nice. The other day, when I was done taking a shower I realized I forgot to get a towel, so I just brought it over out of the cabinet. And when my stuff is across the room on my desk I don't have to get up." She grinned.

Jacob stayed silent, swallowing hard.

"What's wrong?"

"Just…picturing it, I guess. Or trying not to picture it…that might be a better explanation," he mumbled.

She looked confused. "You've seen me move stuff before."

He smiled. "Not the part I was picturing."

She smacked him on the arm. "You're terrible. And you tell me I'm bad."

"Hey, you are bad," he said as he grabbed the hand of the arm she was starting to pull away.

"Oh yeah, how's that?"

"First of all, mentioning yourself in the shower…" he just shook his head. "And have you ever seen yourself dance? Or what you wear when you dance? That is really bad. You know, it doesn't even matter…you could just be wearing sweats. You must just not look in the mirror very much"

"Hey," she said in a light tone, a small smile playing on her lips. "If you don't like it, you don't have to watch."

"Never said I didn't like it," he said. "And if you think I'm gonna leave you in that gym, looking like that, with that boy band looking group that congregates to watch you girls, you're insane. You're lucky I haven't committed a felony yet."

She laughed, shaking her head. "And I wear appropriate attire when I'm dancing," she complained.

"The only one I want looking at you in that 'appropriate attire' is me."

"Hmmm…are you jealous?" she asked coyly.

"Of stalker boy and his band of jocks? No, I'm not jealous. I do, however, want to knock their lights out on a regular basis."

"Well, if I thought Chris would live through a fight with you I might just tell you to do it already. But I don't think I want a murder on my conscience…or yours."

She looked over at him. He was sitting across from her, knees up, his arms resting across them. She sat cross legged in front of him. "Besides, I never even look at those guys. Why would I, when I have you to look at?"

He just smiled, shaking his head.

"Maybe you don't look in the mirror very much," she said, smiling.

"I look in the mirror."

"Then you should know. Haven't you ever even seen the way Katie and the other girls look at you? Katie especially." She muttered that last line. "You…are gorgeous. That's the very first thing I thought when I saw you."

"Really?" he asked skeptically.

"Well that, and 'man, that guy's tall'." She grinned. "I called you tall guy in my head until I knew what your name was."

"Tall guy!" he laughed. "Well, I don't know what you're talking about with Katie. Or anyone else."

She sighed and shook her head. "You really don't see it I guess. Well, that's better than if you were all stuck up about it. But you just have to be blind not to notice Katie. You're lucky I haven't committed a felony."

"Hmmm…are you jealous?" he asked, mimicking her.

"Should I be?" she asked with mock anger.

He reached out and caressed her cheek lightly. "You're the only thing I ever see."

She smiled and looked down at the ground. They sat in silence for a little while. "So, what's the best part for you?"

"Well, when I phase, the speed is…amazing," he said, smiling wide. "I'm never cold, that's a plus."

She laughed. "You are really warm," she said, squeezing his hand slightly. "I like that too."

"Maybe I should be keeping you warm," he said, reaching out and pulling her to him.

She leaned into his chest and wrapped her arms around him. "I won't complain."

"So what did you imagine your life being like after high school? Did you imagine college, or…getting married, having kids?"

"Nope," she said simply.

"What do you mean 'nope'?"

"I didn't imagine any of that stuff. Sometimes I thought about going to college, but I don't even really like high school. I kind of doubt I would like college very much. I always thought maybe one day I could open a dance studio or something and just teach dance. That's probably really the only dream I had."

"You never thought of having a family?"

Calli paused before answering. "I never even knew what a family really was. Then even when I did I never felt anything for anyone. I never imagined getting married, or even falling in love. It's just not something I could picture." It was silent for a minute or so. "What about you? What did you imagine for yourself?"

Jacob looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "Wow, I guess I never thought about it all that much. I guess I probably figured I would get married, eventually. I don't know about kids. And the only thing I've ever been too interested in is mechanics. I guess I probably just thought I would do that. Maybe college. I guess I don't really know."

They were both quiet for a long time.

"What are you thinking?"

"Don't you ever…I mean, doesn't it ever bother you…that if we're together…what you're…giving up," she finally choked out.

Jacob looked down, but her face was against his chest, her eyes looking away. He put his hand under her chin and lifted it until she was looking him in the eye. "Being with you…is worth more than anything I could ever have. The only way I would be giving anything up is if I wasn't with you. You are everything I need."

She smiled up at him. He leaned down and kissed her softly, then let his lips linger next to hers for a moment. When he pulled away she looped her arms around his neck and brushed the back softly with her fingers. He trembled a little and she smiled.

One of her hands touched his hair. "You know, your hair is longer than mine," she pointed out.

"Does that bother you?"

"Mmm, nothing about you bothers me," she said, almost in a whisper, still running her fingers along his neck.

He closed his eyes and exhaled roughly. "I told you that you were bad," he said in a low voice.

"I could be good," she said slyly.

"Mmm hmm," he said as he leaned his neck into her touch.

"Or I could be worse," she said in the same tone of voice.

He opened his eyes and stared at her. "That could be dangerous," he said seductively.

She brought her face up so her lips were just inches from his. "Well, you know what? When you talk to me like that, in that tone of voice…maybe I want to be dangerous," she whispered.

"You are being very, very bad right now," he whispered back breathlessly.

"Do you want me to be good?"

"Not really," he breathed before he crushed his lips to hers. Her arms tightened around his neck and his arms wound around her back, pulling her to him tightly.

She pressed her body more firmly to his and tangled her hands in his hair. Her lips moved against his with more urgency than ever.

When he finally pulled away he was practically gasping for air.

She leaned her forehead against his chest, breathing quickly. Her arms came down from around his neck and she laid them on his chest.

When he finally caught his breath he took her face in his hands and looked at her intently. "You're gonna kill me with this, you know that?"

She gave him a small smile. "I guess I better be good."

He just stared into her eyes for a long time. "You are beyond beautiful," he finally said softly.

She touched his cheek with the back of her hand. "You are the most amazing person I could have ever asked for. It's feels like…my whole life was just meant to lead me to you." She traced his lips with her fingers. "I love you so much Jacob," she whispered.

He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. "Calli," he practically choked out. He cleared his throat and continued. "I don't even know how to say how much I love you."

"It's ok…I know," she said softly, her hand still on his cheek.

He reached up and took her hand in his. He pressed it gently to his lips and held it there for a moment. "I don't think you could ever know."


	28. Chapter 28 Wrong

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Calli sat in chemistry, looking down at her paper in confusion. She had no idea how to do any of the problems in front of her. She looked over at her book, trying to figure out what she was supposed to do with the equations.

"Why are you with that Jacob guy?"

Calli exhaled loudly and looked over at Chris. Amazingly enough her rejection hadn't stopped him from pestering her. And if that hadn't been enough, she figured seeing her with Jacob every day would have sufficed. She was stuck to him like glue; they were together every chance they got. But Chris still didn't seem to be giving up yet.

"I don't really think that's any of your business," she said in an annoyed voice. She turned back and continued staring down at her worksheet.

"I just don't know what you see in the guy. He's a jerk."

"Knock it off Chris."

"Don't you think that maybe…"

"I said knock it off! This isn't something I want to discuss with you. And it's none of your business, so just drop it," Calli replied angrily, looking him straight in the eye.

* * *

"I said knock it off!" Jacob heard Calli say angrily. He looked over to see that she was glaring at Chris.

Just then the bell rang and he jumped up and darted over to Calli's table.

"Is something wrong here?" he asked her, putting his arm around her waist and glaring at Chris.

"No, nothing's wrong. Let's go," she said and began pulling him out the door with her.

"What was that all about?"

"Apparently Chris has decided he just hasn't annoyed me enough yet," she muttered as they made their way to the gym.

"I could always take care of him for you," Jacob said, grinning at her.

"Don't tempt me," she said as she walked through the door to the gym. When they got to the bleachers she turned and looked at him. "Are you staying for practice?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Yep," he smiled down at her.

"Good," she said softly, and leaned up to give him a quick kiss. She pulled away to go to the locker room.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back to him, leaning down and giving her a much longer kiss. She pressed herself close to him and he pulled her tighter.

He pulled away slightly and she kept her eyes closed for a moment before opening them. She always did that when he kissed her, and he loved it. She stared up into his face for a minute before shaking her head and pulling away, walking toward the locker room.

"I told you not to tempt me," she called over her shoulder as she walked away.

He just grinned at her and went to sit down.

The girls began making their way out to the floor. Calli was the last to emerge from the locker room, a strange look on her face Jacob couldn't really place. She looked up at him briefly and gave him a small smile, then looked away, going to the middle of the room and beginning the practice.

He looked up at the ceiling and shook his head. Every time he looked at her he felt like he might go crazy, but when she dressed like that…she just looked way too good. He still had to look away a lot, and he had seen her dressed that way dozens of times.

He looked down again and watched a few guys shuffle into the gym and sit on the bleachers across from him. Chris was with them. They came most days and watched the girls practice, staring and making comments. Of course, a lot of them stared at Calli, which made Jacob angry, but Calli had told him to just leave them be. The other girls loved the attention, so there wasn't much she could do about it.

Jacob watched them start a routine and then turned his eyes away, staring at a spot on the wall, thinking. He and Calli had been together for over a month now. It was hard for him to believe that it had only been that long. He felt like he had been with her forever; he couldn't picture his life without her. She made him feel totally, indescribably complete. He was happy. Everything felt perfect.

Well, almost everything. The pack had been even more strained after what had happened with Paul. Just thinking about it made him start shaking, and he breathed deeply to calm himself down.

He found out later that Paul had told Jared what he was doing; that he was going to go talk to Calli. He hadn't told him he was going to attack her. But Jared knew how bad Paul's temper was, and at the last minute he had gone to Sam and told him what was going on.

Jacob hadn't seen Paul since that night. He had told Sam to tell Paul to stay away from him. He didn't want to see him, and that kept him pretty isolated from the rest of the pack. Embry and Quil still came to see him a lot. They were upset they hadn't been there the night of the fight.

And of course, Leah still came around a lot. He was hardly even home very much, spending most of his time with Calli. But when he was Leah knew and came to bug him. Sometimes she told him she just wanted to hang out with him, but he tried to make it clear without being too rude that he didn't really want to hang out with her.

She never seemed to get the message, even when he was rude about it. Other times she came angry, telling Jacob what he was doing was wrong and he needed to stop it. He had exploded at her a few times, but she still continued coming.

Calli had been a little hesitant around him the first few days after the fight. They had finally talked it over, and she told him she felt like she was coming between him and his friends, his family; that she didn't want to make problems for him. He told her that didn't matter, that all he wanted, all he needed, was her.

The pack would work itself out eventually. He didn't care how everyone else felt or what they thought. All he cared about was her. He knew she still felt terrible about it, but after those first few days things had been fine.

They had talked about her mother a lot too. She had finally told him about her childhood. Well, most of it. There were some things she said she wouldn't talk about. It shocked him, the things she told him. It made him angry and sad all at the same time. And it made him respect her that much more. He couldn't really imagine someone going through all of that and turning out the way she had. She just amazed him more and more every day.

The hospital had called her a week after her visit to tell her that her mother had passed away. She had seemed a little down, but not for long. When Jacob tried to talk to her about it she told him she said goodbye to her mother that day; that she wasn't going to continue being upset about it. She said she had gotten emotional the day she had gone, but now she was fine. Jacob was hesitant to let it go, but he did. He didn't want to upset her.

He had been shocked at how she responded to that night with Paul. After going through everything she had with her mother that day, and then what happened with Paul, he expected her to be…something. Terrified, upset, angry at him; something.

But she wasn't. She told him over and over that she was ok, that she didn't blame him. But he still felt awful about it. He had hardly left her side since then, determined to make sure nothing ever happened to her again.

But things between them for the most part were amazing. He had never felt so close to another person before. They talked for endless hours, discussing everything under the sun.

He felt like she was a part of him, an extension. Something that he needed to live. He knew he would never let her go. The pack could be mad at him all they wanted, they could be mad forever. It wouldn't make a difference; she was all that mattered.

And then there was Bella. Jacob had seen her quite a few times now that he was at the Cullen's so much with Calli. But they still hadn't spoken a word to each other since that day in his room. Whenever he came and she happened to be in the room, she would make an excuse to leave and dart upstairs or out the door.

He had no idea how she felt about what was going on. He didn't want to hurt her, but he figured she couldn't be too upset about it; after all, she was married to Edward. He thought he should probably talk to her, but the opportunity had never really presented itself.

Jacob looked down briefly at the girls practicing. The competition they would be performing in was coming up soon, and they had been working non stop. They had gotten so much better; they didn't even look like the same team he had first seen.

Calli was in the front, leading them. She looked amazing, of course, but her expression was strange; preoccupied somehow. He looked over at the group of guys who were staring at them too. Chris was watching Calli intently. Jacob felt a low growl forming in his chest. He wanted to punch Chris several times a day, but Calli always stopped him.

"What's wrong Calli?" he heard Jaqie say over the music.

Jacob's eyes darted down to Calli. She was standing there, unmoving. As the other girls noticed she wasn't dancing anymore they stopped too. Her eyes were a little wide and one of her hands was draped lightly over her stomach. She was leaning over just a little; she still didn't move.

"Calli?" Jaqie asked worriedly.

Jacob stood up.

Calli finally seemed to notice what was going on. She straightened up and looked at Jaqie. "Nothing's wrong…sorry. I think I just lost my train of thought," she said as she was shaking her head back and forth, looking a little dazed.

Her eyes met Jacob's and he gave her a questioning look. She just shook her head slightly and smiled. But something still wasn't right.

She called out for the person working the radio to start the song again. They began the routine. This time Jacob watched Calli carefully. She still appeared to be a little preoccupied, but soon she got into it and looked like her old self.

The girls practiced for awhile longer, and Calli seemed fine for the rest of it. Finally she called the practice to an end and went to change. When she came out she had an almost pained look on her face. Jacob rushed over to her.

"What's wrong? Are you ok?"

She looked up at him, appearing a little dazed again. Finally she smiled. "I'm fine. My mind just keeps…wandering today, I guess."

Jacob looked at her skeptically.

"I'm fine, really. Let's go."

He stared at her for another moment before he wrapped his arm around her and began walking outside. It was drizzling slightly and was already almost dark; the girls had practiced for a long time today. He walked her over to his car and opened the door for her.

Ever since the night with Paul, Jacob picked her up and dropped her off every day. After awhile she had just rolled her eyes and told him she was pretty sure she was safe going back and forth to school, but he didn't care. He hated having her out of his sight at all.

He drove the familiar way to her house. Calli was quiet the whole time, just looking out the window.

They pulled up to the house and he got out, coming to her door. She was already standing, looking behind him at nothing. He grabbed her and pulled her close to him. "Tell me what's wrong Calli."

She looked up into his eyes. "Nothing's wrong Jacob. I just felt…weird for a little bit, I guess. I can't even really describe it." She smiled at him, the small smile he loved. "But it's gone now. I'm ok…really," she persisted.

He stared down into her face. Her beauty still shocked him on a daily basis. "You…are so beautiful," he murmured huskily, bringing his face down closer to hers.

She smiled at him again. "I love you," she whispered, looking at him intently.

He leaned down the rest of the way and pressed his lips firmly to hers. She responded automatically, winding her arms around him and pulling her body up against his. He lifted her off the ground, pulling her as close to him as he could and kissing her intensely.

Lately when he kissed her this way he felt himself slipping further and further, his thoughts going to more and more places. The way he responded to her felt like too much to handle sometimes. And the way she responded to him only added to the situation. One small part of him told him he should probably stop the kiss now.

But the bigger part won out and he continued on, becoming more frenzied, the kiss becoming more urgent. He could feel all this mirrored in the way she kissed him. Her hands grabbed at him tightly and his made their way up to her hair. Her lips moved anxiously against his.

He finally pulled away from her, setting her feet on the ground and trying desperately to catch his breath, his head spinning. She pressed her face into his chest and he could feel her breathing heavily. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held onto him tightly.

"Jacob," she sighed against his chest.

He shuddered. When she said his name that way he couldn't help but react.

He stood there holding her for awhile. All of a sudden he felt her jerk slightly. He pulled back and looked at her. "Are you ok?"

She paused before she answered. "I just thought I felt something crawling on me," she replied, giving him a small smile. "But it was nothing."

He stared at her for a moment before beginning to pull her toward the house.

They only took a few steps before she stopped walking.

Jacob turned back to look at her. Something was wrong; there was something in her face that didn't look right. She smiled at him, but that didn't look right either.

"Let's stay out here for awhile," she said softly.

She pulled him back over to his car and leaned on it. He went and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned her back against his chest.

"What's wrong Calli?" he asked softly, his lips close to her ear.

She was quiet for a minute before answering. "I…I'm scared," she said, her voice cracking.

He turned her around quickly and looked her in the eye. "What do you mean? Why are you scared? Of what?"

"I don't know. I just feel…scared. I don't know what it is, I can just feel it."

He felt her tremble slightly as she spoke. He put his hands to her face. "Nothing is ever going to happen to you. Do you understand? I won't let anything happen to you. Ever," he said firmly.

"I know," she whispered. She stood there for a moment, unmoving. Then she shook her head, smiling a little. "I think I must just be going crazy. ."

Jacob kissed her softly. She wrapped her arms around him again and leaned into his chest. He held her tightly, stroking her hair.

"Hey…have you always worn your hair this short?" he asked, hoping to change the subject and get her mind off of what was bothering her.

She reached up automatically and touched the short layers. "No, actually I always wore it pretty long, up until about six months before…before. One day I just decided to cut it all off." She smiled. "It's a lot easier now. My hair was way too thick…took hours to do anything with it."

She paused. "Why? Would you like it better longer?" she asked, pulling away from him slightly and smiling.

He leaned down and put his forehead to hers, looking into her eyes. "Every single thing about you is perfect. I would never change anything."

They stood like that for a long time, just staring at each other.

"Come on," he finally said, pulling her toward the house.

"Do you have to go? It is getting late," she said, looking up at the sky.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying with you tonight. I'll make sure it's ok with Carlisle."

"What?"

"I don't know why you're scared, but I'm definitely not leaving you if you are. I'll stay here forever if I have to." He pulled her up the stairs and opened the door, walking right in.

Everyone was there in the living room. As soon as Bella saw Jacob her eyes widened. She stood up and went quickly upstairs. Jacob watched her go, staring after her for a minute and then looking back toward Carlisle.

"Hello Calli. Jacob," Carlisle said.

Jacob walked toward Carlisle but Calli stayed in place, dropping his hand. "Carlisle, I want to stay here with Calli tonight. Is that ok?"

"Is everything alright?" Carlisle asked, standing.

"I don't know. Calli just says she's scared, but that she doesn't know why."

"Calli, what's going on?" Carlisle asked, but she remained silent.

"Calli?" A look of alarm came over his face.

Jacob turned around quickly.

Calli was standing there, leaning over, her arms gripped around her stomach.

"What's wrong Calli?" he demanded as he went quickly to her side and grabbed her.

"I…I don't know. It hurts," she gasped.

"What? What hurts?" Jacob asked frantically.

Carlisle and Esme came to stand at her side. Esme put her hand on Calli's shoulder.

"Calli, what…" Carlisle began in a worried voice.

Before he could finish Calli stood up straight, her whole body stiffening, and stared at the door. A look of terror came across her face.

"He's here," she whispered.

Before Jacob could even process what she had said she was out the door.

Jacob and Carlisle looked at each other for a moment before running after her, the others following behind.


	29. Author's note

Ok guys, so I'm hoping that this will help a bit. I'm getting a lot of hits to each of my chapters, but very very few reviews. It seems that a lot of people are reading it. But I'm not getting a lot of feedback. Those of you who write your own stories know how frustrating it is to be lacking in reviews. I spend a whole lot of time writing this, and I really want to hear what you guys think. So please, if you read the chapter, leave a review, even if it is just a short one. I have a lot of chapters planned for this story, so I want to know how you feel about the story. Leave reviews so I can post more chapters please, I need to know what you guys think! Thanks, and thanks to all those who have been leaving reviews!


	30. Chapter 29 Confrontation

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Calli stopped abruptly, looking around with wide, shocked eyes.

It was the clearing, the one from every single one of the dreams. Everything was exactly the same, the placement of the trees, the size, the shape.

Her eyes slowly made their way across it.

And there he was, standing and smiling as he always did. Calli stared into his bright blue eyes. She had a flashback of the day she had turned in the forest in La Push and seen him. He looked very much the same.

But he was more beautiful, more striking; his appearance was much more appealing to her now. He had not appealed to her this way in the dreams, but standing here with him, in person; it was so much different. His eyes almost hypnotized her, and she continued to stare.

"Hello Calli," he said, his smile widening.

"Hello," she said softly. It felt almost like it had come out against her own will. But it didn't feel wrong. She felt amazingly drawn to him. She could feel something inside herself trying to go to him.

She was surprised when she noticed that she was slowly making her way in his direction. She forced herself to stop; something in her screamed, protesting against this.

The man shook his head slightly and made a disapproving sound. "You are fighting it Calli. Why? Haven't you realized it yet? You are mine."

"Yours?" Calli asked, sounding dazed. Her mind felt cloudy.

"Yes. Mine…don't you want to come to me Calli?"

"Yes," Calli said breathlessly, "I want to come to you."

She began to slowly make her way toward him again.

"That's right. There's no need to fight it. This is what is supposed to happen. You can feel that this is right, can't you? That you are supposed to come to me?"

"Yes," Calli said again quietly, still taking small, slow steps in his direction.

_Keep coming to me._

Calli stared forward, looking straight into his eyes. Her feet walked to him without her even having to think about it. Some part of her seemed to be yelling, screaming something; but she paid no attention, and soon the voice faded seamlessly away. The man just kept smiling, beckoning her with his hand.

"Calli! Calli, no!"

Calli slowly came to a stop but continued to look at the man.

_Come to me now!_

She felt her feet begin to move forward again.

"Jacob!"

_Jacob. Jacob._ "Jacob," she murmured softly, her eyes still locked with the man's.

"Calli!"

Calli began to turn her head toward the voice.

"No!" commanded the man.

Her head stopped turning and she kept her gaze on him.

"Don't you want to come to me Calli?" he purred.

_Want. _There was something her mind was trying to remember, but it couldn't push its way out.

"Come to me."

She started walking forward again. She felt the unknown thought trying desperately to make itself known, but all she was consciously aware of was the need she felt to go to him. Her feet moved effortlessly in his direction, and the closer she got the happier he became.

"No!" she heard a voice command.

The man's face quickly turned angry as she felt something grip her arm and pull her back.

The man growled menacingly, and Calli tried to pull her arm free of whatever was holding her back. It gripped her tightly and she began struggling, her eyes still locked with the man's, the conscious part of her brain screaming at her to go to him.

She was swung around, her gaze with the man broken. She cried out, trying desperately to turn her eyes back to his. She kept struggling, preparing to protest loudly against whatever was keeping her from going to him. Her head rose, and she was staring into an angry pair of dark eyes.

Calli felt all the air leave her body in an instant and she stopped struggling. A sense of relief, of contentment came over her as she stared into Jacob's eyes. Every urge she felt to go to the man vanished, and her mind was clear once again.

"Calli, you can't…" Jacob said firmly. But she could hear a trace of uncertainty.

"I know," she interrupted. "I don't know what happened. It was like I was…like I had no control over myself."

"Come here Calli!" she heard the man's voice command.

Calli turned slowly to look at the man. "No," she said calmly.

Jacob took her hand and she squeezed his tightly.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Carlisle and the rest of them begin to come toward her and Jacob.

"No!" Calli exclaimed. She turned to them, putting her hand up, concentrating hard, and they all halted abruptly in place, their eyes widening. "Stay back."

_Come to me now Calli._

Calli turned back to the man. "No. I'm not coming to you."

"You will come to me! You have no choice!"

"I'm choosing now, aren't I?"

"You belong to me," the man said persuasively. "And the only reason you are not at my side right now is because of that dog," he sneered.

Jacob growled at him.

The man smiled back. "You belong to me," he purred, turning his eyes back to Calli's. "I made you. It is your destiny to be with me. Weren't you listening? Every step you've taken has brought you closer…"

"To Jacob," Calli said softly, interrupting him.

An angry look came over the man's face. "No! Have you not felt our connection? You have…it pulled you to me. You cannot be with anyone but me. You came here because you have no choice. You will come to me!"

"Jacob pulled me back. I love him…not you. The connection I feel to you is not love. It's force. I have a choice. What I want can matter." She smiled as she said the last part.

"No!" the man roared. "You have seen the things I've done…I've shown you," he said. "Would you like me to show you again?" he purred, looking away from Calli toward everyone else.

Calli stared at the man, concentrating hard.

_You cannot block me, _he thought laughingly. He narrowed his eyes at them. He kept staring, concentrating harder and harder, his face becoming frustrated.

"Wanna bet?"

"How are you doing this?!" he asked angrily

"A good friend gave me some advice…I've been practicing. For this…for my day."

The man laughed. "Oh Calli, you really know nothing. This is not your day. Your day will be your ascension."

"What?" Calli said, confused.

He laughed again. "You still have not told her?" He directed his question at Carlisle.

"What is he talking about Carlisle?"

"Calli will not ascend," Carlisle replied, looking at the man. "There was no reason to tell her."

"What is he talking about?" she demanded again.

The man chuckled, shaking his head. "I listened to that conversation, waiting for you to mention that part. That was of course before Calli learned to close her mind off."

He turned back to Calli. "No one has ever been able to keep me out like you have. Even those who closed their minds were not closed to me. But I digress," he said, turning back to Carlisle. "You fool! You had her school records, her medical records. And you did not even think to look at the year!"

"And, of course," he purred, turning to look at Calli again, "Calli never told you that she lied."

"Calli," Carlisle began slowly

"Lie to him," the man purred, smiling wide at Calli.

It hit her quickly. She hadn't thought of that conversation for awhile now. She had never told him the truth. She turned to Carlisle with a pained look.

"What is he talking about Calli?" Carlisle demanded.

"I…I'm sorry Carlisle. I woke up. I didn't know what was going on. You hadn't even told me yet! And you asked me, and I didn't even understand why you were asking me that, and I was in some place I didn't know. And I didn't know you! I heard the voice, it told me to lie…he told me to lie," she glanced quickly at the man and then back to Carlisle. "I…I just did it. I thought about it afterwards, but I never told you. Then I forgot. I was going to tell you, but…I forgot."

"Please don't tell me…" he trailed off.

Calli just stared for a minute before responding. "I'm not eighteen yet," she said quietly.

"Oh no," Esme breathed.

She saw the astonishment, the fear, in everyone's faces. She looked up quickly at Jacob to see that he appeared to be confused, looking back and forth from her to Carlisle.

"I didn't mean to keep lying, I swear!" she exclaimed, looking to Carlisle again. "I just…forgot to tell you after that. But I don't understand why it's even important."

The man was laughing. "You had it right in front of you!" he shouted at Carlisle. "It was right there! She will ascend."

"What do you mean 'ascend'? I don't understand." Calli said, sounding confused.

"Carlisle left that particular point out of the story. Didn't even touch on it. Most I changed…didn't even live through it," he said with a grin. "Shall I show you?"

Calli's head was filled with images of people writhing in agony. Their eyes turned pitch black and they convulsed violently. She could see that something was almost going through them, like an electric shock. The entire time they were screaming in pain. Images flashed of people lying on the ground, obviously dead.

Calli grabbed her head and cried out as the images assaulted her, trying to force them away. But she couldn't block them out.

"Calli!" Jacob held her tightly. He looked over at the man and growled fiercely.

"You can't imagine the pain you will feel when it happens," the man purred. "It will be unbearable. You will likely pray for death to escape it."

Images kept going through Calli's mind and she continued to clutch her head in her hands, trying desperately to push them away.

"Stop!" she screamed, but they would not go.

"How much does it hurt Calli? It's three months away. You should be feeling some pain now."

Calli kept her eyes closed, trying with all her might to make the images stop.

"You are more powerful now than I thought you would be…more powerful than anyone I've ever changed. Possibly as powerful as I was at your age, before I ascended. I don't think I can allow that. I may just need to kill you now," the man said nonchalantly, still smiling.

Jacob growled again.

Calli continued to clutch at her head, her eyes squeezed shut.

_You're stronger than this Calli. Show him. He is here because you frighten him…you are worrying him. Show him why._

Suddenly her eyes shot open. Thunder roared, echoing loudly through the forest.

The man's eyes widened as he looked at her. "Impossible," he muttered.

A strong wind ripped through the clearing. A clap of thunder sounded once again.

Calli stared at the man and he flew backward into a tree.

He let out a loud roar. He jumped to his feet and looked right at Calli. She saw his eyes go pitch black, and the thunder got louder. Calli looked up at the sky.

"Move!" she shouted and shoved Jacob hard. He automatically reached out and grabbed her as they fell to the ground. Calli scrambled quickly across the ground, pulling Jacob with her, just as a bolt of lightning hit where they had been standing.

Calli focused on a large branch on the ground, hurling it at the man and getting quickly to her feet. But he stopped it and turned it back around on her.

Before she could stop it the edge of the branch plunged into her thigh. She screamed in pain.

Thunder roared and the man flew back once again.

"Calli!" Jacob screamed and got up, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her back against him. "Oh no, Calli…" He touched the branch lightly and she cried out. He jerked his hand away.

"Calli, let me..." Carlisle began, walking toward her.

Before he could finish Calli reached down and quickly ripped the branch out of her leg, screaming in agony.

"Do I really need to hurt you more Calli?" the man asked mockingly.

Calli looked up, glaring at him, Jacob still holding her against him. She managed a small smile, took her hand, and placed it over the wound. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and pulled her hand away.

The man stared, wide eyed, at where the wound had been.

_You know I won't let you live…not unless you are with me._

"Leave," Calli said firmly.

_If you will not come to me then I will kill you._

_Go ahead and try. _Calli raised an eyebrow, continuing to stare at him.

_You are not stronger than me._

_But I'm strong enough to fight you._

The man growled.

Jacob had been looking back and forth between the two of them. When he heard the growl he answered with his own fierce one.

_I will hurt you one way or another._ The man focused on Jacob.

Call just looked at him, smiling.

_You cannot block me forever._

"I'm not blocking anything. Your powers won't work on Jacob."

"You will come to me or I will kill you. You and I…we are the only of our kind. I have killed all those I have changed. Except for those who died without my…assistance," he sneered. "I won't let you exist without me. Think carefully…think of the things I could do. It will be better for you, for everyone, if you come to me."

"She's not going anywhere with you," Jacob growled.

The man smiled at him. "A part of her is mine…it will always be mine, she has no say in that. She can never be completely yours."

"I'm already his," Calli said quietly. "In every way that matters. Even if I did come to you, that would never change."

"You have no idea what you're doing. If the ascension doesn't kill you…I will."

And with that he disappeared into the forest.

"Calli. Calli! Calli, look at me!"

She felt Jacob's warm hands on her shoulders, shaking her. She slowly looked up, meeting his eyes.

"Are you ok?"

She nodded weakly.

"You zoned out there for awhile. Are you sure you're ok?" he asked as he pressed on her leg where the wound had been, inspecting it.

"I'm ok," she said shakily.

She began walking toward the others. Jacob looped his arm around her waist to support her, but she remained stiff. She stopped right in front of Carlisle.

He met her eyes with a pained look on his face.

"I think you have a few things to tell me," Calli said grimly.

* * *

"Calli, I had no reason to tell you. You told me you were eighteen."

Calli continued to pace the room anxiously. "Well, obviously there was a reason, wasn't there? If you had told me _why_ you were asking me, I'm sure I would have been much more inclined to tell you!"

"I had no way of knowing. I must have just glanced past the dates on all of your records," he mumbled thoughtfully. "Calli, it's going to be alright."

"Alright? Don't tell me it's going to be alright! You didn't see what I saw! You didn't see all those people! You didn't see what happened to them! He showed them all to me! They died, Carlisle. And in three months…I could die too."

"No!" Jacob came and took her face in his hands. "That's not going to happen Calli," he said firmly.

"You can't know that," she said softly, looking into his eyes. "And what about Samuel?" She turned back toward Carlisle. "You heard what he said. He's not going to stop."

"You were strong enough to fight him today…"

"For about half an hour," Calli said laughingly. "And I still got speared by a branch! I'm not stronger than him. And what about the rest of you?"

"We can handle ourselves," Emmett said.

"Against him? No, you can't. I blocked him today."

"He could still be here now," Rosalie said.

"He's not here."

"How do you know?"

"He can see into my mind…I can see into his too. He's far away."

"Calli no, you can't…" Carlisle began.

"I don't have any choice Carlisle! That's the only way I'll know if he's around." Calli winced and put her hand to her stomach. Jacob's arms tightened around her.

"When did the pain start?" Carlisle asked gently.

"This morning," Calli said weakly.

"What day is your birthday?"

"May twenty eighth."

Carlisle sighed, staring at her intently. "I'm not going to lie to you Calli. I know there's the possibility you could…die. I didn't want you to have to go through this. I didn't think you were going to. But you are strong, you proved that tonight. You heard what Samuel said…besides himself, he's never seen someone as powerful as you are. You're strong enough to make it through this, I know you are."

"What if it's not enough?" Calli asked fearfully.

"Listen to me Calli," Jacob said, turning her toward him again and taking her face in his hands. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I swear."

"You can't protect me from this Jacob," she whispered.


	31. Chapter 30 Options

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the sonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

"This is dangerous Carlisle. If he's more powerful than Calli then you know he can hurt us," Rosalie said harshly. "I told you this wasn't a good idea from the beginning, but did anyone listen?"

"Rosalie, calm down," Esme said gently.

"I'm not going to calm down! All of us are at risk by just being around her!"

"We can handle him Rose," said Emmett.

"Oh yeah Emmett, how?" she asked angrily. "Do you have some super power that we're not aware of?" She turned away from Emmett back to Carlisle. "Something needs to be done."

"Well, if the 'something' you are referring to is making Calli leave, then you can just stop right there. That's not going to happen," Carlisle said calmly.

"She can take care of herself! Why should we be in danger because of her?"

"She is a part of this family Rosalie, and I will not ask her to leave."

"If we have to fight this guy then we will," Emmett said firmly.

"Do you not understand the whole powers thing? There is no fighting him Emmett!"

"There are a lot more of us then there are him."

"Doesn't matter," spoke up Jasper. "There could be a hundred of us, I think he could hold us all off. I could feel how powerful he is…couldn't the rest of you?"

"See!" exclaimed Rosalie, ignoring the question. "He doesn't want us, just her. She should leave."

"Are you really so willing to send her off on her own?" Alice asked angrily.

"Better that than all of us being killed!"

"Maybe you should think of someone other than yourself," Alice spat at her.

"Maybe you should try to see the big picture here!"

"Alright you two, just relax," Carlisle said firmly. "Rosalie, I am not asking Calli to leave. We don't need to discuss that anymore…my answer is not going to change."

Rosalie glared but said nothing.

"Now, I'm not going to pretend that Samuel is not a risk. But to send Calli out on her own, even if it were an option, which it's not," he stared pointedly at Rosalie. "Even if it were, what do you think would happen to her? You seem to be forgetting that she is seventeen. And not seventeen the way Edward is…she is still just a girl. She is terrified. She's about to go through something very trying. And she shouldn't have to do it alone."

"It's not our fault she was bitten," Rosalie said icily. "And it's not our job to take care of her."

"You are so selfish Rosalie, you know that?"

"No Alice, I'm practical. If you want to die for this girl, fine! But not me."

"Enough!" said Carlisle loudly.

"It seems to me that maybe you all were not in the same clearing, seeing the same things I saw," Edward said quietly.

Everyone turned to look at him expectantly.

"I don't think this Samuel is quite as much a risk to us as you might think he is."

Each of them had a look of confusion on their faces.

"I don't think I understand Edward," Carlisle said.

"Did you not see the look on his face? The way he responded to Calli's reactions? He was not there to kill her. He was there to toy with her." He looked around into everyone's faces. "This is a game for him. He's enjoying this. He's not here to kill us. He's here to torture Calli. He's here to break her."

"You don't know that," Rosalie muttered.

"It was pretty obvious, to me at least. And it would have been," he paused. "Even if I hadn't been able to hear his mind."

"What?" Alice demanded. Everyone else began speaking at once.

"Quiet!" Carlisle said loudly. He looked at Edward. "Are you telling us you were able to read his mind?"

"Yes."

"What did you hear?"

"Not much more than was said. But it was clear to me what he is doing. Look at what we know of his past. He changed people, just so he could turn around and kill them. He didn't want them as mates, or allies. He wanted them as toys. When he was finished playing with them he discarded them. I expect, if he really meant to kill Calli, we would have seen much more from him. And how much more exciting do we make this for him, a group of vampires trying to protect her? No, this is most certainly a game."

"Perhaps," Carlisle murmured thoughtfully. "That does seem to make sense. But I believe he chose Calli for a reason, something about her that…appealed to him. And now he is realizing his mistake. I think the amount of power Calli already has scared him. It felt to me like he was conflicted. One part of him wanted her to come to him, as if he wanted to be with her. But another part wanted to kill her because she is possibly a threat to him."

"Obviously there is something different about Calli. If my ability works on him and not her, then it's not being affected because she is a…half breed. But think about this logically. If he really wanted to hurt us, even to kill us, he would be here now. Calli isn't here to stop him. He would be making a move, if that's what he wanted. But it's not. Calli is his target, Calli is his game. He doesn't want to kill us…why waste his time? He wants to break Calli. Threatening us is just a way of getting to her…he knows she cares about us."

"He is breaking her," Alice said. "Have you seen her? She's terrified. She'll barely look at or talk to anyone. Even Jacob." Alice glanced quickly at Bella on that last line.

"And now, not only does he know he's frightened her, but he is in her mind to enjoy it. He is feeding off of this…off of her. I don't think he'll harm us. He doesn't need to. He already has Calli where he wants her."

"Yeah, well are you willing to take that risk? For yourself, for all of us? For Bella?" Rosalie asked pointedly.

Bella's eyes widened and Edward took her hand, glaring at Rosalie. "If I felt she was at risk things would be different," he practically hissed.

"What Edward is saying makes sense. Samuel is not trying to do anything to us. Calli is another story. The things she has been seeing since last night are…unpleasant," he finished grimly. "If he truly wanted to hurt us, he probably could. Or would have already. And why did he not come after us before? He knew she was here with us. It was only after Calli learned about her dreams that he came. I think Edward's right. I think he only intends on hurting Calli."

"He's getting his way. He is hurting her. And to be honest, it wouldn't surprise me if Calli tried to leave on her own," Alice said, looking around at everyone. "I think she's much more upset at the fact that we could be hurt because of this."

"Calli is not going to go anywhere," Carlisle said firmly. "We will just have to make sure she understands that we don't want her to leave, and that we will be fine."

"Well, Samuel may not be trying to hurt us, but he won't stop his attack on Calli, even if it is only mental. She is probably his most exciting game yet. He doesn't seem to be used to defiance. He'll pursue this until he breaks her."

"Why were you able to read his mind, and not hers?" Carlisle said thoughtfully.

"It most likely wasn't just me. Jasper, you said you could feel how powerful he was. It seems your ability worked on him too."

"If that's the case, why didn't I see him coming?" Alice asked angrily.

"You don't always see things about those you've never had a connection with. And it could have been a split decision, not something he was planning," Edward pointed out.

"There must be something about Calli…something that makes her different," Esme mused.

"We're getting off topic here," Rosalie said angrily. "I still think he is dangerous to us, and that Calli should leave."

"Shut up Rosalie," Alice said. Rosalie glared at her.

"I think we're forgetting a key point, something pretty important," Jasper said. "His powers don't work on the werewolves. They could eliminate this whole problem."

"I've thought of that. While his powers don't work on them, he uses it on objects, we saw that with Calli. He could still hurt them," replied Carlisle

"Calli tried blocking him last night. She did a pretty good job too…he only got a couple of shots at her. If in three months she is even more powerful, who's to say she couldn't block him completely? This is all just speculation, of course. But I'd like to see him surrounded by the pack with Calli there blocking him."

"The night Calli was attacked by Paul I came out just as he had bitten her. He barely touched her, but she had a huge gash. I know you said you don't know how they can be killed Carlisle. But I imagine it's the same way we can…only they seem to be much easier to tear apart. If his powers didn't work, if they were rendered useless, I have a feeling it would be pretty easy to kill him."

"I think Jasper's right," Alice said. "All we have to do is make sure he can't do anything."

"There's a flaw in your plan. Why would the wolves help? Obviously many of them are not fond of Calli. He's not presenting a threat to them, or anyone but Calli right now, and I don't think they will be jumping at the chance to defend her," Edward pointed out.

"But Jacob will," Bella said quietly. "And some of them would probably be willing to listen to him."

"No, wait!" Esme said, almost excitedly. "Maybe he's not presenting a threat to them now. But…he did cross onto their land. Calli was bitten on the reservation. If they think that Samuel is going to their land to kill, that may be motivation for them to go after him."

"But they can't do it without Calli. Carlisle's right, he can still hurt them…kill them. Calli needs to be able to block him if there's any shot," Jasper said

"Alright, hang on a minute," Carlisle said, using his hand to wave them quiet. "There are several reasons this is all speculation. Calli being able to hold him off, the wolves participating, getting close enough to him, the list goes on."

"But it could work Carlisle," Jasper said firmly.

"You're right, it could. But several things have to fall into place first. The first thing being…Calli has to ascend. We already know she can't completely block him now. And even after that, many things have to come together. For the time being, I don't think there's much we can do. Unless Samuel makes a move, we won't either. Also, we won't be discussing this with Calli. Or Jacob. Not right now."

"But…" Emmett began.

Carlisle put his hand up to quiet him. "There may come a time when this will go into effect. But right now Calli needs to have as little put on her as possible. She's strong, but Alice is right…Samuel is weakening her, and I believe she needs to be as strong as possible to get through this. To be strong she needs Jacob. If he thinks there's a chance he can go and kill Samuel, I know he'll try. So for now, we don't say anything about this."

The room was silent for a few minutes.

"There's another reason this may be speculation," Alice said quietly.

"She has to live through it," Bella murmured.


	32. Chapter 31 Distractions

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with hte exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

"Ms. Whinehouse? Ms. Whinehouse, are you with us today?"

Jacob saw Calli finally break her gaze from the spot on the wall and make eye contact with the teacher.

"I'm sorry, what was the question?" she asked in a dazed voice.

The teacher repeated the question, looking at Calli expectantly; but she remained silent.

"Do you know the answer?" the teacher asked impatiently.

Calli shook her head and looked down at her desk.

"I would suggest coming to class prepared next time, Ms. Whinehouse," the teacher said disapprovingly, and moved on to another student.

Calli just sighed and put her head down on her crossed arms, looking away from Jacob.

Jacob knew that Calli wasn't ok. It had been a week since that night in the forest, and she had been very distant. He knew she was scared. And it killed him that he couldn't make it go away.

She had been in a daze; she would barely look at him most of the time. When she spoke she only said a few words, hardly talking to him at all. He hated feeling so helpless, like there was nothing he could do for her. Sometimes he felt like going and ripping something, anything apart, just to feel better.

He also knew she was in pain. It came and went; he could see on her face when she felt it. He felt so useless. He was supposed to be able to take care of these things for her. But he didn't know what he could do, aside from being there with her.

And he was, almost all the time. She usually insisted he go home for a few hours to sleep, if for no other reason then to see his dad, at least for a little while. He usually went, reluctantly, because he knew she felt bad. She told him that he had no time for anything else because he was always with her. But he told her there was nothing else; only her.

She had been keeping her mind open to Samuel since that night. But he tortured her with his thoughts the first day. It had made Jacob crazy with anger, but once again, there was nothing he could do. Now she kept her mind closed and opened it every ten minutes or so to check; but she couldn't keep it open all the time. She told Jacob she would go insane if she did.

He felt like she was about to break. There was just too much for her to deal with. Everything kept coming one right after another, and he really wasn't sure how much more she would be able to handle. She was strong; but he knew this was too much. He just wanted to take her somewhere far, far away where nothing could touch her.

And, as much as he hated to admit it; he was scared too. He couldn't lose her. Now that he had her he knew there was no way he could be without her. He had to figure out something; something he could do. He had no idea what, but there had to be something. He had been talking to Carlisle about it a lot.

* * *

"There has to be something I can do Carlisle…anything," he had pleaded.

"I don't know what you can do, if anything Jacob," Carlisle had replied.

"No, I'm not going to accept that. She is breaking Carlisle, and you know it. You've seen her these last few days. Three months of this? And then…" he trailed off, his voice pained.

"I know Jacob. I want to help too. But there's just not much we can do against Samuel. And there's nothing we can do about her ascension. It is going to happen."

"Do you think," Jacob's voice cracked, and he cleared his throat before starting again. "Is she going to make it?" he asked quietly.

Carlisle sighed. "I really think that she will. I know Calli is strong. Stronger than most. I believe Samuel chose weak people to change because he felt he could control them. I'm not quite sure why he chose Calli to change…she is obviously not easily controlled. Those that died during the ascension were I'm sure not as strong as Calli is. I think that's what is going to pull her through."

"She's strong, but I don't know if she's strong enough to handle all of this. Is anyone?"

"She's been through a lot in a very short amount of time. But she is strong enough. It's going to be hard. Hard is probably not even a good enough word. But I do think she can make it. You have to believe that too, Jacob. I know you're scared. And I understand it. But you can't show Calli that. She'll need you more than anyone. And she needs you to believe that she will be alright."

Jacob sighed and ran his hands over his face. "She has to be alright."

"And you have to be strong too," Carlisle said gently.

"And what about Samuel?"

"I really don't know. Calli is looking out for him. If he gets close, then we'll just take it from there I suppose."

"I can kill him Carlisle," Jacob almost growled. "He can't use his powers on me. If I went after him…"

"I don't think that's such a great idea Jacob," Carlisle interrupted. "He doesn't necessarily need to use his powers on you to hurt you. You saw that with Calli. He used his power on an object and hurt her. He could do the same to you."

"I have to do something! She's upset and terrified and scared, and I'm not helping at all! And I can't stand to see her like this!"

"I know, I know. All you can do right now is be there for her. I promise you that will mean enough."

"It doesn't feel like enough," he mumbled.

"There's…something else I wanted to discuss with you," Carlisle began carefully.

"What?" Jacob sighed.

"I was…speaking with Alice recently, and she brought something up. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed likely. We both know that Calli is having a difficult time with this, but I think we also know she feels more guilty than anything. She feels like she's putting us in danger." Carlisle paused.

"Yeah," Jacob said slowly.

Carlisle sighed. "Alice said she thinks Calli might try and…leave. If she felt like it would be best for everyone else."

"What?! Did she say something to her?" Jacob practically exploded.

"Calm down. She didn't say anything to anyone. Alice was just thinking out loud. But when I sat and thought about it…I just wanted to bring it up to you."

"No, no, no. She cannot leave!"

"I know. I really think we just need to focus as much as we can on taking her mind off of everything that's happened. If she's not thinking about it all the time, she's less likely to…make the wrong decision."

Jacob took a deep breath. "Ok, take her mind off of it. That sounds about impossible. It's all she's thinking about!"

"We'll just have to try."

They were both silent for a few minutes, thinking.

"Carlisle," Jacob began slowly.

"Yes?"

"Have you thought about…I mean…how much …" Jacob sighed and shook his head, starting again. "How much more powerful can Calli get."

Carlisle's expression turned thoughtful. "I've asked myself that over and over. The things she can do…I never expected her to be as powerful as she is already. When she ascends…it's frightening to think of what she might be able to do then. And I think that has Samuel frightened too. His fear, and his arrogance, will probably work to our advantage." Carlisle paused. "That night, with Samuel…Edward could read Samuel's mind."

"What? I thought that didn't work on them."

"So did we, until that night. Jasper could feel him too. Their abilities aren't lost on Calli because she is…a half breed. There's some other reason. I wonder if that could have something to do with how powerful she is," he mused.

* * *

The bell rang, pulling Jacob from his memories. He hated the next two classes, the only ones he didn't have with Calli. He stood and waited for her; she got up slowly and came to his side.

He wrapped his arm around her and they walked out of class, in the direction of her next one. When they got to the door he stopped and pulled her to him. She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I love you," he said softly.

She looked up into his eyes. "I love you too."

"I'll see you soon," he said and leaned down to kiss her lightly. He watched her walk into class and then turned to go to his own.

* * *

Calli walked into chemistry with Jacob, her tiny hand held in his massive one. He gave hers a squeeze before going to take his seat next to Katie, who glared at them and turned around quickly to face forward. Calli went and sat next to Chris, who stared at her like he was planning on saying something. She tried to angle her body away from him to discourage any conversation.

"Hey Calli," he said after the bell had rung.

She turned slightly and just looked at him.

"You know, Jacob looks kind of friendly with Katie over there." He glanced over in their direction.

Calli followed his gaze, and saw Katie flip her hair over her shoulder and laugh loudly. Calli glared back and forth from Katie to Chris, then got up and made her way to the teacher's desk.

"Mr. Barnes?"

"Yes Calli?" he asked, looking up at her.

"Can you please move me or Chris to a different seat?"

"Is there a problem?"

"He just…it's just that…I mean…" She sighed.

"Come on Calli, spit it out."

Calli paused before answering. "He annoys the crap out of me," she said firmly.

She saw Mr. Barnes stifle a laugh and she smiled slightly.

"I could see him having that effect on some. Let's see, where could I move him?" He looked around the room.

Calli looked back and glanced at Jacob. When she turned around Mr. Barnes was looking in the same direction.

"If I put you and Jacob next to each other will you actually get some work done?" he asked slyly.

"Yes, I promise. Anything but Chris," she muttered.

"Alright. Go back to your seat."

He stood up as Calli was walking back to her table.

"Chris, please trade seats with Jacob," he called to them. Jacob looked at Calli and grinned, while both Chris and Katie's faces looked less than pleased.

"But Mr. Barnes…" Chris began protesting.

"Now Chris."

Chris stood up huffily and grabbed his things to make his way across the room.

When Jacob passed him he gave him a big smile. Chris just glared.

Jacob sat next to Calli and raised an eyebrow. "What was that all about?"

"Chris' personal safety depended on him getting away from me. If I had to sit next to him for one more minute there was a good chance I would've committed that felony," she muttered.

"Why? What did he do?" Jacob asked, a hint of anger in his voice.

"The same thing he always does, he annoyed the crap out of me. And that's exactly what I told the teacher." She smiled slightly at that last part. "Besides, don't you think he and Katie would make the world's best couple? Just think of all the people who will be saved from them if they're together." At that part she smiled even wider.

"Ha!" Jacob laughed. "Well, I'm closer to you. That's all I care about."

Calli smiled at him and then looked at her book, opening it. "Well, we better get some work done. That was the deal if we sat next to each other. Don't you go distracting me."

"Oh yeah, cause I'm the distraction," he scoffed, looking at her intently.

"You're a very big distraction," she said softly, looking up and staring into his eyes.

They sat there like that for a minute before Calli finally shook her head and turned her eyes to her book.

Jacob opened his and they both began writing on sheets of paper, concentrating hard.

"Do you know how to do any of this stuff?" Calli asked after a few minutes, still staring at her paper, a look of confusion on her face.

"Yeah, not really," he muttered.

She sighed. "Well, at least we can flunk the class sitting next to each other. We need to put in some study time."

They both continued looking at their books, trying to figure out the work in front of them. But Calli's mind began to wander, and soon she wasn't concentrating on the problems at all. This was the first time she had spoken to Jacob like this in days. Everything had been so tense since that night. She hated that there was this distance between them. But she just had so much to think about, and it all scared her.

She was of course scared that in three months this ascension thing could actually kill her. But more than anything she was scared because she was putting all those around her in danger. The Cullen's were like family now; the only family she had really ever had. And it made her feel terrible that because of her they could be hurt. Carlisle kept telling her not to worry about that, but how could she not? She didn't know what she would do if something happened to one of them because of her.

And then there was Jacob. Just thinking of something bad happening to him killed her. He was her entire world. She knew Jacob would try and protect her from anything. But she knew he couldn't protect her from this.

What scared her more was that she knew he would try. There was no way he would just stand back and accept that he couldn't fight this. And she was terrified that was going to get him hurt.

The bell rang and Calli looked up, surprised. She was so lost in thought that she had gotten nothing done in class. She saw Jacob stand and hurried to put her things in her bag and join him. When she got up he took her hand and they walked out of the classroom.

"Are you guys practicing today?"

"Yeah, but not for very long. They've really been wearing themselves out. Besides, they're about ready."

"You did a really great job with them."

"They did the great job. I just helped a little."

"Yeah right, a little," Jacob said as he opened the door to the gym for her.

They walked in and went to the bleachers to put their things down. Jacob sat and Calli walked to the locker room to change.

* * *

Jacob watched the girls start to wrap up their practice. Calli seemed to be feeling a little better this afternoon; he was determined to keep it that way. The practice ended and after changing Calli emerged from the locker room. She walked over to him and he put his arm around her and began walking out of the gym.

"So," he began, "what should we do today?"

"We should study for chemistry. I understood zero point zero percent of that stuff today."

"Well then, study session it is." They got to his car and he opened the door for her, closing it after she got in and then getting in himself. He drove to the house and they went inside, finding no one there. He followed Calli up the stairs into her room.

"Ok, time to study," she said as she dropped her bag on the floor next to the bed. She pulled out her chemistry book and a notebook and sat with her back up against the bed. "No distractions," she said seriously as she looked up at Jacob.

He smiled and dropped down next to her, pulling out some paper. They put her book between them and began going over the equations.

"Ugh," Calli said after a few minutes. "As if math wasn't bad enough, then they make other subjects that are hard, and they add math to those too. Doesn't make any sense," she mumbled.

Jacob just laughed. They continued to try and work out the equations, but he looked over after awhile to find that Calli's eyes were clouded over. He knew she wasn't paying any attention to the book.

"No distractions, huh?"

Calli blinked a few times and looked over at him. "What?"

"You seem pretty distracted," he said gently.

She sighed. "I know. Sorry. My mind keeps wandering."

Jacob turned his body toward her. "Calli, listen to me. Nothing is going to happen to you."

"You can't know that," she said softly.

"I do know that," he said firmly. "I know you're going to be ok…even if you don't know it. Trust me Calli."

She looked away from him to the floor.

"Do you trust me?"

She looked back up at him. "Of course I trust you, but this isn't…"

"Then just trust me when I tell you it's going to be ok. I don't want you to be upset, or worry about it all the time. I just want you to trust me that you are going to be ok." He stared at her intently.

She stared back, an uncertain look on her face.

They just sat like that for awhile, saying nothing.

"Kiss me," she said suddenly.

He just stared for a moment before responding. "What?"

"Kiss me. Distract me. Just…make it all go away. Make me forget about it."

He only looked at her for a moment before he pulled her face to his. Her lips met his urgently and he responded immediately.

He felt her push herself closer to him and he wrapped his arms tightly around her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he pulled her even closer. He pulled her back so she was lying down and leaned over her.

He hadn't kissed her like this in days, and it felt like it had been much too long. With every second the kiss became more intense, but he didn't stop it. He didn't want to. He just wanted to be here with her, like this, forever.

He finally pulled back slightly, looking down at her face. "Enough of a distraction?" he asked in a husky, breathless voice. He took a second to just look down at her. She looked amazing; she always looked amazing. Her beauty still startled him all the time.

Her bright eyes looked up at him and she smiled. "It's a good start," she breathed and then leaned up and pressed her lips firmly to his again.


	33. Chapter 32 Hesitant

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

"Do you play the piano?" Jacob asked as he watched her eying it.

"Oh, uh…"

"She sings too," Alice interrupted, walking in with Emmett and Jasper.

"Really?" Jacob said. "Well, she never told me that."

"Alice, I don't really…"

"You can't deny it. You told us when you first came here. Besides, I saw a bunch of stuff on the internet. Did you know there are articles about you? People wrote that they thought you were going to be famous one day."

"People write lots of stuff," Calli mumbled.

"They all say you were really good. I think it's time for you to sing something for us."

"Uh, that's ok," Calli said quickly.

"What are you all up to?" Carlisle asked, walking in with Esme.

"Trying to get Calli to sing something for us," Alice said with a big grin. "I think you guys had better help us out."

"Oh, you should Calli," Esme said excitedly.

"No, I don't think so," she replied hesitantly.

"Aww, come on," Jacob said. "We all want to hear you."

She sighed. "I haven't played in a long time. I never even played well in the first place. I always just memorized stuff for songs I would sing. It will probably sound terrible."

"No it won't, it will sound great," Alice said enthusiastically as she grabbed Calli's hand to pull her off the couch.

Calli looked pleadingly at Jacob, but he just grinned.

Alice dragged her to the piano bench. "Sit," she ordered.

"Alice…"

"Nope. Sit."

Calli sat and looked around at everyone getting up to make their way to the piano. Jacob stood close by. "I don't even know what to play."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something. Don't worry…we'll wait."

Calli just glared at Alice, who smiled back sweetly.

"Alright, fine. Hang on, let me think a minute." Calli sat contemplating for a bit. "Ok. If it sucks Alice, I blame you."

"Ok."

Calli sighed. "Here goes."

She only played a few notes before she began singing. When she began, a low, soft, but still somehow strong voice began singing a slow melody. Her voice was full of emotion. And it was beautiful. It filled the room as her fingers moved softly over the keys.

Jacob watched her in amazement. Her voice was unbelievable. And, as much as she had protested, you could see from her face that she was enjoying it. She looked peaceful, happy; the way he wanted to see her. Everyone else stared too.

She finished the song and stared down at the keys for a minute before turning around. Everyone was quiet.

"Wow," Alice finally breathed.

"That was…really beautiful," Esme said.

"I don't really play very well," Calli mumbled.

"I don't think anyone pays attention to the playing while your singing," Carlisle said, smiling at her.

"Thanks." Calli stood up next to Jacob, who took her hand in his.

"Did you write that?" Alice asked.

"Oh, no. I'm no good at writing. That wasn't my own song."

"Well, it was amazing."

"It was really good," Emmett said appreciatively.

"Very," Jasper said, smiling at her.

Calli looked down at the floor. "Thanks," she mumbled again.

Everyone was quiet once again.

"Let's go for a walk," Jacob said quietly next to her ear.

She looked up at him. He gave her a small smile. "Ok," she said slowly. She looked at the others. "I guess we're going for a walk."

They walked out the door and down the steps toward the trees. They were silent for the first few minutes.

"You're singing was…amazing. That might not even be the right word," Jacob said, looking down at her as they walked. "Is there anything that you don't do perfect and beautifully?"

"Ha!" Calli laughed. "Let's see. I am a terrible cook. Really awful. You would have to be about to die of starvation to want to eat what I make, and even then, death may be the better choice. I can't draw…at all. My stick figures even come out sad and misshapen."

"You can't be that bad of a cook," he said playfully.

"Hey, I could make you something if you want me to." She paused, looking thoughtful for a minute. "No, on the other hand, I better not. You might run away from me," she said, grinning.

"I would never run away from you."

"I'm telling you, it's pretty bad."

"So, are there really a bunch of articles about you?"

"Some. People would come to competitions and do reviews. Everything ends up on the internet these days," she mumbled.

"Did you want to be famous?"

"Ugh, no way," Calli said, wrinkling her nose.

"What? Why not?"

"Haven't you ever seen the covers of those trashy magazines? The eighteen year old girls become famous, and it's like, 'oh, let's see how much alcohol I can consume and how many guys I can sleep with'. They're not famous because they love what they do. They're famous because of what they look like, how much money they have. The more dumb things they do, the more famous they are. If I had any desire to go and trash my life, I definitely wouldn't do it in front of a camera. No thanks."

Jacob just stared at her, shaking his head and chuckling.

"What?"

"Most girls who could do what you do would be jumping at the chance to be a celebrity."

"I never did this stuff because I thought it would make me famous. I just love it. It's fun." She sighed. "I guess I'm just not like most girls."

"Hey, that's what I love about you. Well, one of the things," he said, smiling at her.

They walked for a few minutes in silence.

Jacob finally cleared his throat. "Uh…Calli?"

She looked up at him and smiled. "So, you're finally ready to tell me why we're really out here?" she asked slyly.

He grinned at her and looked away. "That obvious, huh?"

"Mmm, just a little."

They kept walking; Jacob remained silent. When he looked back down at her she was staring at him expectantly.

He stopped walking and faced her. "Ok," he began nervously.

"You're starting to scare me Jacob," she said uneasily.

He smiled at her. "Don't be scared. My uh…" he paused, clearing his throat. "My dad wants to meet you," he said hurriedly.

Calli just looked up at him, blinking dazedly. She stared for what must have been a few minutes before responding. "I'm…sorry. I think I misheard you. I thought you just said your dad wants to meet me."

"No, you heard right. He wants to meet you."

Calli shook her head back and forth, an incredulous look on her face. "Am I missing something? Is this, like, a joke?"

"No," Jacob frowned. "Don't you want to meet him?"

"Uh, it would be nice, probably. If he didn't hate me."

"He doesn't hate you Calli. He just doesn't really…understand. He's a lot better about it now though."

"And he wants to meet me?"

"Yep."

Calli cleared her throat. "Uh…ok. I…I guess so. Umm…when?"

"Soon. Tomorrow maybe."

"Tomorrow?" she asked nervously.

"Tomorrow," Jacob said firmly.

"Hmm…ok. Uh, how are we supposed to do this? Where am I going to meet him at?"

He cleared his throat. "Uh…at my house," he said uncomfortably.

"What?!" Calli exclaimed. "Ok, now it's a joke right? I can't come to your house!"

"My dad already worked it out. It's ok for you to come."

"On the reservation?"

Jacob just nodded.

"Where all the other werewolves that hate me live."

"Calli, they…"

"Oh, no, no, no. You can't tell me that _they _don't hate me. As I recall, one of them took a bite out of me."

Jacob growled a low, vicious growl. "Paul will _not_ be anywhere near you."

She sighed. "Jacob, do you really think this is a good idea?"

"I want you two to meet," he said firmly. "Nothing is going to happen. I promise."

Calli just looked up at him for a minute. Then she gave him her small, sweet smile. "If it's what you want, I'll do it," she said softly.

He smiled back and leaned down to kiss her gently. He put his forehead to hers and just stared into her eyes for awhile.

Finally he broke the gaze and took her hand. They started walking through the forest again.

He cleared his throat. "Umm…Sam will be there too. And, uh, probably Embry and Quil."

He saw Calli's head jerk up violently to stare at him, but he continued looking forward.

"Hold on, wait a minute! You never said…"

"Calli," he interrupted, "Sam never really officially met you. And Embry and Quil are my best friends."

"That's four werewolves…four! That seems a little too suicidal for my taste."

"Nothing is going to happen. Sam, Embry and Quil don't have any problem with you. They really want to meet you too." He looked imploringly into her eyes.

"Hey, don't you look at me like that."

"Aww, come on," he grinned. "I already know you're gonna give in."

"Jacob…"

"I promise it will be fine."

She glared up at him. "It better be," she finally said.

He grinned at her. "Told you," he said smugly.

"You're lucky you're so cute," she replied begrudgingly.

"Cute, huh?" he asked playfully, looking down at her.

She kept facing forward, but he could see a small smile playing on her lips. "Very cute," she finally said.

He stopped walking and pulled her to his chest, looking down into her eyes. They stood there staring.

"Ok, maybe cute's not the right word," she said a little breathlessly.

He leaned down and began giving her small kisses on the neck, making his way to her mouth.

"You…are going to get yourself in trouble," she whispered.

"That's ok, I like getting in trouble with you," he breathed on her neck. He felt her tremble.

He kept making his way up and brought his lips just in front of hers.

"I love you," she said softly.

He smiled. "I know," he said before pressing his lips gently to hers.


	34. Chapter 33 Meeting

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Calli paced back and forth taking deep breaths, wringing her hands together.

"Relax Calli," Alice said soothingly, her face amused.

"How am I supposed to relax? You know, maybe it would be different if I was just some normal girl going to meet her boyfriend's dad. But this isn't really that kind of situation. What am I supposed to say to him? 'Hi, I'm your son's girlfriend. By the way, sorry I'm a vampire'."

Her eyes widened and her face looked shocked for a moment. "Oh, man," she sighed, putting her head in her hands.

"What is it now?"

"I've never said that out loud," she said shakily. "The vampire thing…or the girlfriend thing. I don't know which one is scarier."

Alice laughed. "You're getting yourself too worked up. You're going to be fine."

"Easy for you to say. You're not about to walk into a house full of werewolves. Ones who don't particularly like you." She looked down at herself. "Are you sure I look ok?"

"You look fine. Just try to calm down."

"I don't need them to have any more of a reason not to like me," she mumbled.

"Don't worry, I don't think they'll eat you because they don't like what you're wearing," Alice chuckled.

Calli stared at her with wide eyes.

"I'm kidding Calli!"

"Uh huh."

"They don't eat vampires anyway," she grinned.

"You know what Alice, you're not helping."

"Ok, ok…sorry. You know Jacob would never let anything happen to you anyway. I don't know why you're so worried."

"I feel like I'm going to be sick," Calli moaned.

"You can't actually get sick," Alice pointed out.

"I still feel like I'm going to be."

Just then there was a quick knock on the door and it opened.

"Calli?" Jacob called out.

Her anxious eyes widened even more.

"She's right here," Alice said laughingly.

Jacob watched Calli pace a few times. "You ok?"

"She thinks they're going to eat her because they won't like what she's wearing."

"What?" Jacob asked, confused.

"Alice!" Calli exclaimed loudly at the same time.

Alice put her hands up as if she were surrendering. "Ok, ok, I'm done. Good luck." She bounded over to give Calli a kiss on the cheek before making her way upstairs, laughing to herself.

Calli just glared at her.

"Did she say you thought they were going to eat you?"

Calli sighed, rolling her eyes. "Come on, let's go." She grabbed his hand and they walked out the door to his car.

They drove in silence for a few minutes. Calli looked out the window, tapping the fingers of her right hand hard on the door.

"Are you really that nervous?" he finally asked.

Calli turned and glared at him. "Did you seriously just ask me that?"

He laughed. "There's no reason to be nervous. I promise."

"There's no reason for _you_ to be nervous. What am I going to say to him Jacob? To any of them?"

"I promise it will be fine. Just relax. You're all…twitchy."

She just glared at him some more.

"But it's a cute kind of twitchy," he said with a grin. He stopped the car.

Calli looked around anxiously. "Are we here already?" she croaked.

Jacob took her hand. "Hey. It's ok." He kissed the top of her hand softly. "Are you ready?"

"Oh, no, no, no. I can't do this."

"Yes you can."

"I feel like I'm going to pass out or something."

"It's gonna be fine."

She sighed. "Aren't you nervous at all?"

"A little. But I already know them, so I guess I have an advantage."

"Yeah, a few of them," she mumbled.

He grinned at her and got out of the car, going to her side and opening the door. She stood slowly and looked at the house uneasily.

He leaned down and kissed her gently. "Come on," he said, grabbing her hand and making his way toward the door. But she remained in place.

He turned and looked at her. She just looked warily at the house.

"Calli," he said softly. She looked up at him. "It's ok…really. Come on." He waited until she slowly started stepping forward and then walked with her to the door. He looked down and smiled at her before opening it and walking in.

Calli gripped Jacob's hand tightly and walked into the house behind him, sticking as close to him as she could. She kept her eyes on the floor. Jacob pulled her around him so that she was at his side.

He cleared his throat. "Everyone…this is Calli," he said firmly, but his voice shook just a little.

Calli looked around the tiny living room just as two men who were sitting on the couch stood. One was almost as tall as Jacob, and the second man was shorter than them both. The taller of the two was a little thinner, not quite so built, while the shorter one was very bulky. They both looked very similar to Jacob, except for the fact that their hair was chopped short. They had the same strong look, squared features, and dark skin.

Calli's eyes moved to the right where she saw Sam standing. He and Jacob were about the same size, but he was obviously older. His face was more mature than Jacob's. He gave off an air of authority. He very closely resembled Jacob also, with the same features as the two she had seen before him, and the same cropped hair. His hand rested on the top of a wheelchair.

Calli's eyes met Billy's deep black ones, which were scrutinizing her carefully. He was a heavier man, with billowing cheeks and weathered skin. He sat serenely in his chair. Calli stared for a minute before looking away.

"Calli, this is Embry," Jacob said, pointing to the taller of the two men who were by the couch.

"Hey," Embry said casually.

"Hello," Calli replied quietly.

"This is Quil," he motioned to the man next to Embry.

"Hey Calli," Quil said, grinning.

Calli smiled back shyly.

"You've already…well, you know who Sam is," he said, motioning toward him.

"Hello Calli," Sam said, smiling at her.

"Hello," Calli said once again.

"And this is my father, Billy." Jacob motioned a little nervously toward the wheelchair.

Calli met his eyes once again and he stared for a minute, scrutinizing her carefully, before slowly reaching his hand out. Calli's eyes widened and she just looked at his hand before slowly beginning to move forward.

When she got close enough she warily brought her hand up and placed it in his. He stared at their joined hands for a moment, a look of surprise coming across his face, before his eyes turned back up to hers.

"It's nice to meet you Calli," he said in a deep, resonant voice.

Calli gave him a small smile. "It's nice to meet you too," she said softly.

"Why don't you sit down Calli," Sam said and looked pointedly at Embry and Quil, who moved away from the couch.

Jacob took her hand and pulled her over to the couch, sitting and tugging her down by his side. The room was uncomfortably silent for a minute or two.

"So," Quil began, clearing his throat, "Jacob tells us you're a dancer. You know, for your school."

"Oh…yeah," Calli said. She looked around the room and her eyes met Billy's again. He was looking at her carefully.

"You're…very different from the others," he said slowly.

Calli saw Jacob shoot him a look. She just smiled. "Yes…I guess I am."

"If no one had told me, I might not have even known."

"Yeah, I left my sign at home," she said dismissively.

Embry, Quil, and Jacob all choked on their laughter. Sam shook his head, chuckling. Billy smiled and gave a small chuckle too.

Calli looked quickly at Jacob and smiled, feeling slightly relieved.

"You really are different. I can't smell anything at all," Embry said thoughtfully.

"I'm assuming that's a good thing," Calli said carefully.

"Yeah, and you look so much different than them. Your eyes are so much different," Quil added. "Hey…can you cast spells and stuff?"

"Quil!" Jacob said harshly.

Calli just laughed. "Uh, not that I know of."

"But you can do other stuff, right?" he persisted.

Jacob went to say something but Calli squeezed his hand. He looked at her and she smiled.

She turned her eyes to the tiny end table next to the couch, focusing on the remote sitting there. It rose up in the air and made its way to Quil, stopping just in front of his face.

Embry and Quil's jaws dropped simultaneously. Sam watched carefully. Billy's eyes widened and he stared at the remote incredulously.

Quil reached his hand up slowly and placed it on the remote, waiting for a moment and then grasping it in his fingers. He turned it over in his hands a few times before looking over at Calli. "That…was the coolest thing I've ever seen," he said in an awed voice.

"Man," Embry breathed.

Jacob looked at her and grinned. She smiled back. The room was silent again for a few minutes.

Billy cleared his throat. Everyone looked over at him, including Calli. "I'm sorry it took us so long to meet Calli. As I'm sure you understand, this situation has been…difficult." He looked at her intently.

Calli swallowed hard and nodded.

"As you probably already know, I was not very accepting of this. This is not a situation I ever expected to come across, especially with my own son. But I can't deny what I see." He paused. "You make Jacob very happy," he added quietly.

She waited a minute before speaking. "He makes me happy too," she replied softly.

He stared at her momentarily. "Then that makes me happy," he finally said, smiling at her.

* * *

Sam walked out of Billy's house a little while after Jacob and the others left. He had stayed to talk to Billy, to ask him what he had really thought of the meeting.

Billy told him that he felt like he was truly going to be ok with this. Making the decision to meet Calli had been a tough one, but he knew how Jacob felt about her, and he knew he needed to get to know her too.

He had almost been hesitant to tell Sam that he actually liked her. When he had taken her hand it had truly surprised him. Besides being slightly cold, it was no different from anyone else's. She still appeared to be so…human. It hadn't been hard at all to see her and Jacob together.

More than that…it had been pleasant. When Jacob was around her he glowed; the happiness, the contentment that he felt could be sensed by all those around them. Billy told Sam that seeing Jacob like that was amazing, after watching him spiral down due to the situation with Bella. He now knew that it was right for them to be together, and he felt much more at peace.

Sam was happy for them too. He knew that Jacob was now where he belonged. But he couldn't help but worry. Jacob had explained to him the situation Calli was in. Sam couldn't imagine how they were both feeling. He knew how fiercely protective he was of Emily; to see her struggle over something so terrifying and not be able to do anything about it would be torture, he was sure.

But Jacob had told him she was doing much better lately. And he was grateful for that; for both of their sakes. He knew most of the pack didn't understand, that they might never understand. But he understood completely. He knew it wouldn't have mattered who or what Emily was; he would have been with her regardless.

"Sam," a voice called angrily from behind him.

He turned to see Leah approaching him, an angry look on her face. He sighed, expecting what was coming.

"How dare you let that leech on our land?"

"Leah, please, don't start."

"No, don't give me that! It's bad enough that you won't do a damn thing to stop this, but to actually let her on the reservation…that is crossing the line!"

"This was a matter for the elders to decide, not you. They made their choice. It was not wrong for Billy to want to meet her."

"This whole thing is wrong and you know it! She is a vampire!" she emphasized each word. "You guys seem to be forgetting that little detail!" she spat.

"Jacob has…"

"I don't want to hear that crap about imprinting, got it?" Sam heard the pain in her voice; saw it in her eyes briefly before they turned angry again. "This is wrong, plain and simple. And you need to put a stop to it. Now!"

"No Leah," Sam sighed. "This is Jacob's choice. You, me, the rest of the pack…we have no say in it. You may not like it, but you will have to respect it."

"We'll see about that," Leah muttered.


	35. Chapter 34 Push

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to hte wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

"See, it wasn't nearly as bad as you thought it would be," Jacob said as he opened the door to the house for her.

She walked in, Jacob following behind, and closed the door. "Well, I'm still alive. So yeah, it did turn out better than I thought."

"Not funny," he said seriously as he followed her upstairs. "Do you really think I would ever let anyone hurt you?"

Calli sighed. "No, I guess not. But if you were in my place you would have been terrified too."

"But they liked you," he said pointedly as he followed her into her room.

"Well, they didn't totally hate me."

"I think it's safe to say Quil and Embry think you're the coolest person ever." He paused, frowning thoughtfully. "That may not be such a good thing," he muttered.

She turned around and walked to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Well, I think you're the coolest person ever." She smiled up at him.

"You at least better think I'm cooler than those guys," he said with mock anger.

"Oh, much cooler," she replied seriously.

He grinned, then leaned down to kiss her lightly. When he released her she walked over and sat down on the bed. "There were still a bunch of uncomfortable silences."

"They weren't bad silences though."

She reached down to take her shoes off. "Mmm, I guess."

He looked at her and grinned. "Did you really tell Alice you thought they were going to eat you?" he asked laughingly.

"No, no, no. I asked her if I looked ok, and she said that they weren't going to eat me because they didn't like what I was wearing. She really didn't make me feel any better about it."

Jacob laughed. "You look great. You always look great."

Calli rolled her eyes but smiled at him.

He came and sat next to her on the bed. "Hey…what's your favorite kind of music?" He looked around her room. "Do you even have a radio?"

"Nope. I download all my music on the computer. I listen to all different kinds, so I just go and download whatever song I feel like listening to," she explained, motioning toward her computer on the desk. "I don't really have a favorite."

"So you listen to everything?"

"Everything. Classical, country, rock. Oh, no heavy metal though…that stuff's terrible," she said, wrinkling her nose.

He stared at her for a minute, smiling.

"What?"

"You're cute when you make that face…when you don't like something."

"Ugh." She rolled her eyes again. "So, what's your favorite?"

"Rock. That's what I listen to the most."

They were silent for a couple minutes. Calli lay back on the bed.

Jacob just watched her for a minute before he leaned over her, looking into her eyes. "What are you thinking about?"

She smiled up at him. "Everything. You. Today. Mostly just you though."

He smiled back at her, then leaned down slowly and placed his lips gently on hers. He pulled back slightly, keeping his lips right next to hers.

"Jacob," she sighed.

Every time she said his name that way he felt like he might tear out of his skin. He pressed his lips to hers firmly this time.

She threw herself into the kiss, looping her arms around his neck and pulling herself up to him, her fingers curling around his skin desperately.

He put his hands on the sides of her face and felt her grip him even tighter. One of his hands made its way down to the small of her back and he pushed her hard against him. Her lips moved even more anxiously against his.

He could feel the kiss getting more and more intense; her body was molded to his, his hands gripping her tighter and tighter. His heart was pounding furiously. He pushed her back so she was flat on the bed and pushed his body down onto hers.

He felt her hands tangle in his hair and one of her legs wrap around his. He groaned, putting one of his hands behind her neck and pulling her lips even tighter to his.

Her body arched against his and suddenly his response to her felt like too much. Every part of him ached to be against her.

He jumped up, making his way quickly to the window and leaning his arm against it, placing his forehead against his arm and trying desperately to breathe. He heard Calli groan, then her rapid breathing.

It took every ounce of self control he had not to go back to her. He closed his eyes, trying to compose himself. He breathed deeply for a few minutes. "I…am going to lose control with you," he said breathlessly, his voice ragged.

"You're not the only one," she muttered, just as breathless.

He turned and saw her still lying sprawled across the bed, her arm draped over her eyes, her chest moving up and down with her accelerated breathing. He turned back around quickly and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to try and calm himself.

He felt her arms snake around his waist and he jumped slightly, her touch sending shock waves through him. She pressed herself up against his back. "You're killing me," he moaned, taking one of her hands in his, shuddering slightly.

"I don't want to be away from you," she murmured against him.

He turned around and pulled her close to his chest, looking down into her eyes. "Calli." he said gruffly.

She just stared up at him, her eyes wide; anxious. Her face held everything he felt; everything he wanted to feel. He felt his heart skip a beat and he took in a sharp breath.

"Too much," he muttered as he smashed his lips to hers again. He leaned down, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off the ground. Her hands gripped the sides of his neck, pulling his face closer to hers. She pushed her body forcefully against his.

"Calli," he moaned. He held her in place with one arm while the hand of the other roamed up and down her back. He felt her body tighten and his heart raced wildly.

After a few minutes of this he put her feet back on the ground and tore his lips from hers, breathing hard and looking down at her. She kept her eyes closed, her hands coming down from his neck and resting on his chest.

"I guess I'm not helping too much with the control thing," she said quietly, opening her eyes.

"I…Calli…"

"I know," she whispered. "Me too."

He stared down at her, just gazing into her eyes. Something was changing; quickly. His desire, his want; his need for her was more intense than ever. It excited him and thrilled him and terrified him all at the same time. And it scared him more that he saw all of this mirrored in her.

"I love you," she murmured quietly.

"I love you…so much."

"Do you have to go?"

He swallowed hard. "I want to stay here with you."

"I want you to. Come on." She pulled him over to the bed.

He laid down on his back and she lay next to him, resting her head on his chest. He stroked her hair and she sighed. She ran her fingers up and down his chest.

"You're so warm," she said softly.

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, then took one of her hands in his.

"I can hear your heart beating," she murmured.

"It belongs to you, you know," he said, putting their interlocked hands under her chin and raising it until she was looking into his eyes.

She reached up, stroking his cheek with the back of her other hand. They lay there like that, looking into each others eyes for a long time.

She leaned her head back down and soon she heard the steady, rhythmic breathing of Jacob's sleep. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, a small smile on her face.

* * *

Calli looked around at the small clearing for a few minutes, trying to figure out why she knew this place. All of a sudden it hit her.

It was the clearing where she had first seen Samuel…where he had bitten her.

"I see you recognize where we are," his smooth voice came from behind her.

She whirled around to see him standing only a few yards away, smiling at her as he always was.

"Why am I here?"

"Why not? This is where we first met."

"Met? Is that what you're calling it?" she asked harshly.

"Oh, Calli, don't be angry," he said laughingly.

"Where is she?"

The smile left his face and was replaced by an angry look. "She won't be joining us."

They stared at each other for a minute before he began coming toward her.

"No," she said firmly, holding up her hand.

He froze in place, looking shocked for a moment before the smile returned. "My, my, you've become very experienced in these things. I'm quite positive no one's ever been able to hold me back in a dream."

"I don't have to stay here you know," she said, looking at him through narrowed eyes.

"But you will." He grinned widely at her. "You have matters to discuss with me, do you not?"

"What could I possibly want to discuss with you?" she spat.

"I see your thoughts Calli. When you open your mind, even for the briefest moments, I see many of the things you are thinking. And I know you have a question for me."

Calli began walking slowly, moving around the small clearing. Samuel stayed in place, watching her.

"You belong with me. You know that."

"I don't want you," she said angrily.

"What you want is not my concern. You were made for me."

"No, you made me into something thinking it was for you. Too bad that didn't work out the way you wanted."

"What makes you angrier Calli? The fact that a part of you does want me…or the fact that I know it?"

"I don't want you!" she shouted.

"It makes you feel guilty. You feel it's wrong. But it's not wrong. It's just the way it is supposed to be," he purred.

"Why don't we just get this over with," she practically hissed.

He motioned toward her regally. "Be my guest."

She stared at him, saying nothing.

He laughed. "No need to debate with yourself. I'm already well aware of your question."

"Why did you bite me?" she finally asked. "You weren't trying to kill me, or feed off me or whatever. Why?"

He smiled at her before he began pacing back and forth. He looked thoughtful for a few minutes before answering. "The day I bit you was not the first time I saw you. I watched you for weeks before that fateful day."

Her eyes widened when he said this. He just smiled wider and continued.

"I've shown you most of those I've changed." Her face took on a pained look. "I've shown them to you in many ways," he purred, smiling at her reaction. "And I'm sure it was quite obvious…I've never cared for any of them. When I first began changing people it was only to see if I could, and of course it worked. Then I thought if I had many like me it could be beneficial. That we could be a whole new kind. But soon that lost its appeal, and I killed them all. If I had no use for them there was no reason for them to live."

"Over the years since then I have changed a few here and there. Sometimes it was nice to have a little companionship. My control over the people I've changed has been unwavering. I've had quite a bit of practice." He grinned. "Controlling them has been a…hobby of mine. Seeing how far I could push them. But everyone has lost their appeal to me at some point. And it's not as if I ever had any desire for a specific person. I have just chosen them randomly."

He stopped pacing and looked at her intently. "Until the first time I saw you. I don't put myself around big cities much. I tend to stay out of sight for the most part. But it had been a long time since I changed anyone. So I went to Seattle, my first time there. And I just walked around, looking for a good opportunity. I was near the store you worked in when I first saw you. Just an ordinary girl."

He paused for a moment and began pacing again before he continued. "But my reaction to you was not ordinary." He stopped again, looking her up and down. "You were not even my type physically. When I chose females for companionship, I tended to gravitate toward tall blondes. But that is beside the point. I have never felt anything like that before. Love is not something I've ever experienced, nor did I ever want to. It weakens you. I'm not sure if that's what I have been feeling. But my reaction to you intrigued me."

He began coming closer to her. She was so intent on listening to him that she barely noticed, and did nothing to stop him. He stopped just a few feet in front of her.

"So did the fact that none of my powers had any effect on you. I could not read your mind. I couldn't draw you to me…nothing. There was only one other time during my existence that my powers had no effect on another." He shook his head, smiling to himself.

"But that is another matter. Nevertheless my inability to affect you bothered me. And it fascinated me. I watched you for weeks, trying to find something, anything that made you different than the average human. But I found nothing. You were just an average girl. But whatever I was feeling continued to intensify over time."

He took a step toward her. "And then you went to the forest that day. Away from everyone. For some reason I had been debating changing you. I'm not even quite sure why myself. I was there the entire day…some part of me was still debating. But eventually I knew I must change you. So I bit you."

He sighed. "But then your little friend came and interrupted us, and I was forced to leave. My powers wouldn't work on him either. You can imagine my frustration with the matter."

_Jacob_. As soon as Calli thought of Jacob again she backed away from Samuel.

He laughed. "Tell me you don't feel drawn to me Calli. That there isn't some part of you that wishes to come to me."

She opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it. She couldn't tell him that. She could feel the pull to him now, when she stood just a few feet away, more than she ever had. Some part of her told her to go to him.

Finally she spoke. "I only feel it _because_ you bit me. It's not the same…"

"As how you feel for your friend?" he interrupted. "Face it Calli, how much longer can that really go on?"

She just stared at him, saying nothing.

"What kind of life can you make with him? Will you have him give up his life for you? Will you have him die to be with you?"

"Die. What?"

"You are immortal. And he will grow old and die. What kind of life will you be able to have with him…unless you kill him," he said, smirking.

"What? I'm not going to kill him!" she exploded.

"Then explain to me how you can be together. If you truly care for him, don't you want him to have some kind of life? The kind of life you know you can never give him."

Calli closed her eyes and turned her head away, the pain inflicted by his words cutting her deeply. She had thought of this endlessly, but no one had ever said it to her. The thought that she was holding Jacob back from a happy, full life hurt her more than she could bear.

"What kind of future will you be able to give him?"

"Stop," she said in a pained voice.

"You know you cannot stay with him. You're only making it more difficult on yourselves by prolonging it. And you're only wasting more of his time. You, of course, have all the time in the world." He grinned, and Calli cringed.

"It seems to me that you are only thinking of yourself. You are not thinking about his happiness…his future. And what about your little family? Think of the danger you are placing them in…the danger you're placing the one you supposedly love in."

Calli stood there, unmoving, the pain from his words consuming her.

He quickly closed the gap between them and before she could even react he crushed his lips to hers, invading her mouth with his tongue for a moment before moving his mouth to her ear.

"Because if you don't come to me I'll kill them all," he whispered.


	36. Chapter 35 Realization

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Calli jerked up violently, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Calli!"

She felt Jacob sit up quickly next to her. She was gasping, choking back loud sobs. She felt Jacob's arms wrap around her.

"Calli? Calli are you ok? Calli!"

She jumped up, breaking his hold on her and ran to the door, throwing it open and darting toward the bathroom.

"Calli!" Carlisle exclaimed as she ran right into him.

She moved around him and continued toward the bathroom, ignoring everyone's questioning stares. She was coughing at this point, hacking violently.

She got to the bathroom and opened the door, going to the sink and turning the water on. She cupped her hand and filled it with water, then put it in her mouth, swishing it around and spitting it out, still coughing.

"What happened?" she heard Carlisle demand.

"I think she fell asleep. Calli!"

She kept taking more and more water, swishing it around and spitting it out. She felt Jacob's warm hand on her shoulder.

All of a sudden her mind was assaulted with painful images. She heard Samuel's laughter in her head.

The mouthful of water she had came out in a rush as she cried out. She grabbed her head, squeezing her eyes shut, and turned around, sliding her back down the counter so she was sitting on the floor.

"Calli look at me!"

Images of the Cullen's, of Jacob, being killed by Samuel filled her mind. She saw what he wanted to do to them, and she screamed as if in pain.

"Calli! Open your eyes!"

"Stop!" she screamed, her voice full of agony.

The images stopped immediately. She sat, still holding her head in her hands, her eyes squeezed shut, for just a moment before she remembered why she was in the bathroom in the first place.

She jumped back up, turning to the sink again. She felt someone grip her arms and spin her around. She realized she was still coughing violently.

"Calli! Calli, calm down! Look at me. Look at me!"

She looked up into Carlisle's face, gasping loudly.

"That's right, look at me. Just calm down. Calm down," he said soothingly.

She took deep breaths, trying to get herself under control. She saw Jacob standing behind Carlisle, his eyes wide with concern. She turned her eyes away and looked at the floor.

"Calli look at me."

She kept looking down for awhile before looking back up at Carlisle warily.

"Are you ok?"

She stared for a minute before nodding weakly.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded again.

"We're going to go downstairs now, alright?"

She just stood there unmoving, saying nothing. She could feel her whole body shaking.

"Jacob," she heard Carlisle murmur quietly.

Jacob pushed past Carlisle and came to wrap his arms around her.

"It's ok. It's ok, I'm here. It's ok," he said quietly next to her ear.

She collapsed into his body. Strangled sobs escaped her mouth, and she felt him hold her tighter.

"Shhh, it's ok."

She could hear the pain in his voice, and it only made her feel worse.

She felt him begin to walk, pulling her along with him. When he realized she wasn't walking he scooped her up in his arms and carried her downstairs, placing her gently on the couch and sitting down next to her. He wrapped his arms around her again and pulled her to his chest.

She stayed that way, unmoving, and felt the shaking slow down more and more, until finally it stopped and she was completely still.

"Are you ok?" Jacob whispered.

She nodded against his chest and he pulled away from her, putting his hand under her chin and raising her head to look at him. Seeing his face, his concern, was painful and relieving all at the same time. Samuel's words came back to her and she flinched.

His hand cupped her cheek and he looked at her intently. "Nothing is going to happen to you. I swear." His voice was fierce, his eyes burning with the sincerity she could hear. "Do you understand me?"

She closed her eyes, choking back another sob. When she opened them again Jacob was still staring at her.

"Do you understand?"

She looked into his eyes for a moment before nodding weakly. She finally looked around the room. Everyone was there, standing, watching her carefully. Her eyes darted down to the floor, the images Samuel had put in her mind coming back to her.

"What happened Calli?" Carlisle finally asked.

"I…I fell asleep," she choked out.

"What did you see? Why did you rush to the bathroom like that? What happened?" This time it was Jacob questioning her rapid fire.

She looked into his eyes again, and the memory of Samuel kissing her flooded her mind. A small sob escaped her lips and she looked down at the floor.

"Tell us what happened Calli," Carlisle said gently.

"He," she paused, unable to say it. "He kissed me," she finally croaked.

She felt Jacob's arms, which were still wrapped around her, stiffen. She kept her eyes to the ground, refusing to look up at him.

"It was only a dream," Carlisle said firmly.

Calli looked up at him. "These are not just dreams! He is connected to me. It's not like a normal dream!"

"But he never touched you Calli. He never laid a hand on you."

"He might as well have!" She automatically reached up and wiped her hand over her lips, as if she could erase it.

Jacob grabbed her hand. "He didn't touch you Calli. He's never going to touch you."

She finally looked up at him. His eyes looked tortured. She knew this was killing him, and that killed her.

"I…I'm…"

He put his finger to her lips. "No! Don't you dare. You did not do anything."

"What happened in your dream Calli?"

Calli looked over at Carlisle. He came and sat beside her on the couch.

"He followed me," she said quietly.

"What do you mean 'he followed you'?" Esme asked gently, coming to sit beside Carlisle. Everyone else remained standing.

"He told me…he told me that he went to Seattle to look for someone new to change. He said that he never cared about the people that he changed. That he just went and chose them randomly whenever he felt like it. He called it…a hobby." She saw Edward and Carlisle exchange a look.

"He saw me going to work one day. He said he…" she choked on the words. "He said he felt something for me," she finally forced out. "He said he never felt anything for anyone." She stopped talking. Remembering their conversation was almost as bad as having it.

"What else?" Carlisle prodded.

"He said his powers didn't work on me. He told me that had only happened once before. He said he was…intrigued with me. So he followed me around for weeks. He was trying to figure out why I was different from everyone else. He followed me that day…to the reservation. He said he was debating changing me. Then he just decided to do it. But he got…interrupted." She looked over at Jacob, but he was looking down at the floor.

"He said his powers didn't work on you before he changed you?" Carlisle questioned.

"Yes."

"And he said this had happened before?"

"He said once in his…existence."

"Did he say when? Who? Did he elaborate?" Carlisle persisted.

"No, all he said was that it happened once before. Why? That hardly seems like the issue here," she said in an annoyed tone.

Carlisle and Edward exchanged a glance before he spoke. "That night…the night you saw Samuel…Edward could read his mind. Jasper could feel him. Their abilities worked on him."

"I…I don't understand. You said that your… abilities or whatever didn't work on me," she said angrily.

"They don't," Edward said simply.

"But they worked on him?"

"Yes."

"So what does that mean? I don't understand…his doesn't make any sense."

"Calli, there must be something that is…different about you. Samuel's powers didn't work on you when you were…before. But Edward's, Jasper's, they work on him despite what he is. Which means there is some other reason their abilities have no effect on you."

"Different? Different how?"

"We have no idea," he sighed.

The room was silent for a minute.

"What did he say that scared you so badly?" Jacob said quietly.

She was silent for a long time before answering. "The truth," she said in a choked whisper, refusing to look at him as she spoke.

"What? What did he say?" Carlisle demanded.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore!" Calli said loudly and jumped up, going toward the stairs.

"No!" Jacob almost growled.

She felt him grab her arm and she was spun around, facing him.

"Tell us what he said," he demanded quietly.

"I don't want to…"

"Tell me!"

She looked him in the eye for a moment before answering. "He said a lot of things! He asked me which was worse, the fact that part of me wanted to go to him, or the fact that he knew it!" she shouted. "And he's right, some warped, screwed up part of my mind screams at me to go to him!"

Jacob just stood, unmoving, looking at her.

Her face changed from angry to agonized. "He told me he'll kill all of you if I don't go to him!" she shouted again, looking around the room before her eyes met Jacob's again. "And I think it's time I started listening!" She turned and ran up the stairs, slamming the door hard.

Jacob stood there for a minute, frozen in place. He finally turned slowly, looking at Carlisle. "He's breaking her," he choked out.

Carlisle was silent, a grim look on his face.

"He's breaking her and you know it…if he hasn't already!"

"Jacob, I think you'd better go up there," said Alice.

"I don't think…"

"She's right. Calli thinks we're in more danger now. She might think her only choice is to go to him," Carlisle interrupted quietly, looking him in the eye.

Jacob looked at him, his eyes widening, for only a second before he darted up the stairs and to Calli's door. He opened it quickly and saw her there, sitting on the bed, her knees curled up to her chest, looking out the window. She didn't even look toward the door when it opened.

He closed it quietly and just stood there, watching her, but she never looked at him. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, but she still didn't move.

He sat there like that for a long time before he finally scooted closer to her. He put his hand against her cheek and she closed her eyes, swallowing hard.

"I won't let him hurt you," he said quietly.

She finally turned to look at him. "He won't stop," she whispered.

"He will never touch you."

She stared at him intently before responding. "He won't stop unless I go to him."

Jacob's expression turned quickly to anger and he jumped up. "No!" he roared furiously.

Calli shook her head. "You don't understand, he will…"

"You are not going anywhere near him!"

Calli jumped up and went to stand in front of him. "I am putting you in danger! Everyone around me is in danger! He will not stop!" She emphasized each word in the last sentence.

"He won't…"

"You haven't seen the things I've seen Jacob! You don't know what he can do! This is fun for him! I'm not going to let everyone else…no, I'm not going to let anyone be killed because of me!" she screamed.

Jacob felt himself begin to shake, the anger overtaking him. He stared at her and clenched his fists.

"All he wants is me," Calli choked out.

"No!" he shouted. "I will die before I let him touch you!"

"No you won't! I won't let you!" she shouted back.

Jacob felt the spasms coming on, but his anger only continued to rise.

"Jacob! Go outside! Now!"

Jacob spun around to see Edward standing in the doorway. He growled loudly and ran out the door and down the stairs, throwing the front door open and darting out toward the trees.

When he reached them he stripped his clothes off and ran full speed.

And in seconds he was running on four legs, everything flying past him in a blur. He pumped his legs furiously, trying to work out all of his anger in the run. He thought of Calli and howled loudly, his pain evident in the sound.

* * *

"He is doing this on purpose," Edward said softly after Calli had calmed down and sat back on the bed.

Calli looked toward the window, remaining silent.

"This is exactly what he wants. This is a game for him. He wants to create strain between you and Jacob. Between you and the rest of us. He is playing with your mind."

"You know he's dangerous," she said quietly, turning toward him. "If something happens to you guys because of me…"

"Nothing will happen to us," Edward said firmly.

"How can you fight him?"

"You have to trust us. All of us. Don't let him do this to you. Don't let him win."

"All he wants is me," she murmured.

"That's not going to happen Calli," Carlisle said, appearing behind Edward.

"If that's what it takes…"

"No." Carlisle said firmly.

"He won't stop."

"He's not going to win."

* * *

Calli sat at the edge of the trees, her knees pulled up to her chest, her head resting on her knees. She looked aimlessly into the trees, staring at nothing. She lifted her head and glanced quickly at the porch to see Alice sitting there, watching her.

She hadn't been left alone since early this morning when she had woken from the dream. She knew they thought she was going to take off. Part of her wanted to. She couldn't stand to see any of them hurt because of her.

She raised her head up to look at the darkening sky and sighed heavily. She put her head back on her knees and looked back toward the trees.

Samuel was right. She was putting everyone in danger. She knew he wouldn't stop, that eventually he would start coming after them.

The image of him kissing her pushed its way into her thoughts, and she felt like coughing and hacking up all over again. It made her feel sick…dirty.

They could say it was only a dream all they wanted. She knew it was just as if he had been there, touching her. She felt like she had done something wrong…she felt like she had betrayed Jacob. The thought of him brought on even more pain.

Because he was right about Jacob. That particular thought made Calli wince and she closed her eyes, trying to fight back the onslaught of more pain.

She couldn't give him any kind of life; not the one he deserved anyway. It wasn't fair to him to keep pretending that she could. She was being selfish. He deserved to be with someone he could have a future with. And that wasn't her.

The thought of being without him made her feel like she was drowning. Imagining her life without him was agony. She couldn't even begin to think how she could go on not seeing him, not being with him. He was her life. She didn't know how to imagine a world that didn't include her with him.

She thought about leaving him, and suddenly her ascension didn't scare her quite as much. If she couldn't be with him, then dying during it seemed better than living any kind of life without him. She knew that Jacob would try and fight. That he wanted to fight Samuel, that he would fight everything.

But Samuel wanted her. Only her. And she was willing to trade that for the lives of everyone she cared about. Everyone she loved.

She sighed and opened her eyes again. She trembled, wincing in pain and putting her head in her hands. The pain was bad today. She had been having spasms most of the day.

She stayed like that for a long time, holding her head in her hands and trying to force the pain to go away.

Before she knew what had happened she was standing, Jacob's hands gripping both of her own. She looked up into his eyes. She knew her eyes held all the pain she could feel.

She expected to see the same tortured expression in his that had been there this morning. She expected him to be angry, to be furious. But his eyes were full of determination. He stared at her for a minute before leaning down and pressing his lips to hers.

The rational part of her brain told her to push him away, to stop prolonging what she now knew was inevitable.

But that part could not push away what she felt for him. She knew nothing could. And she found herself wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing herself close to him.

He kissed her intensely for a minute before pulling his lips away and wrapping her in his arms. She pressed her face to his chest and closed her eyes, trying desperately to fight away the pain she felt.

He held her like that for a few minutes before pulling away and looking down into her eyes.

"Never Calli," he said fiercely.

She went to say something but he put his finger to her lips, staring at her intently.

"Never."


	37. Chapter 36 Lost

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- I love this chapter. I hope you will too.**

* * *

"You've been awfully quiet these last few days," Edward said softly, taking Bella's hand and looking into her eyes.

"Just thinking, I guess."

"May I ask what about?"

She gave him a small smile. "Calli. And Jacob, I suppose. She is going through so much. It's killing her. It's killing Jake."

He sighed. "She is in a difficult situation. I'm not sure how I would have handled things was I her age, in her place, going through what she is. Carlisle thinks she is very strong though. He believes she will pull through this. And Jacob is determined to pull her through." He looked wary as he said that last part.

She squeezed his hand. "It's alright Edward. I want him to pull her through. I'm glad she has someone like Jake when she's going through this. He has a way of pulling people through hard times." She looked down.

Edward put his hand under her chin and lifted it so she was looking into his eyes again. "I will forever be grateful to him that he pulled you through your hard time," he said softly, smiling at her.

"What's going to happen, you know, the ascension thing…I guess that's not what I'm thinking about most right now."

"And what is that?"

Bella swallowed hard. "The way Calli is acting right now, the way she looks…it's familiar…too familiar."

Edward just raised an eyebrow, looking at her expectantly.

"She's acting the same way you did…right before you left."

* * *

"Calli! Calli!"

Calli finally looked over, pulled from her thoughts.

"I threw that ball right to you. What are you, blind?"

Katie stood there, hand on her hip, looking at Calli angrily. Calli just rolled her eyes.

As if she didn't have enough problems. Katie had been picking up on her bad mood and propelling it further. They bickered constantly during dance practice, with Katie starting stupid little arguments over nothing.

"You wanna try giving me an answer?" she persisted. "That's the third ball you've missed."

Calli stared away, ignoring her.

"Deaf too, I see."

"Shut up Katie," she finally muttered, glaring at her for just a moment before turning around and beginning to walk away.

She heard Katie following behind. "Look, you may think you're little miss hot shot, but no one tells me to shut up, got it?"

Calli kept walking, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. Every nerve in her body ached to punch her in the face.

"Katie, just…"

"No Jaqie. I'm not going to keep taking her shit just because she's mad that her boyfriend's lost interest," she said loudly.

Calli immediately heard all the girls on the court quiet down. She stopped short, turning slowly.

Katie was just a few yards away, looking at her smugly, that hand that Calli wanted so badly to break still sitting on her hip.

"Shut up Katie," Calli said in a low but fierce tone.

"What, it's not like everyone else doesn't see it too," she said laughingly. "It's pretty obvious that…"

"I said shut up!" Calli yelled, interrupting her, missing the last part of the sentence.

Katie stared at her for a moment, narrowing her eyes. "Like he was ever that interested anyway."

"Listen to me you stupid…" she began shouting.

"Hey, hey, hey!" The teacher yelled from a distance, beginning to make her way toward them. "What is going on over there?"

But Calli wasn't paying attention. She walked toward Katie, her fists balled at her sides.

Katie automatically took a defensive stance. "What? You think I'm afraid of you?"

"Katie, knock it off!" Jaqie yelled.

"Don't worry…I'll be happy to take over when he's finished with _you_," she sneered.

Every rational part of Calli's brain shut down at that point. She closed the gap between her and Katie and stood right in front of her, looking up into her face. She pulled her fist back.

Just then a loud crack of thunder sounded, and she looked up at the sky, her mind finally comprehending what she was doing. The unusually clear day had clouded over suddenly. She began lowering her hand back to her side.

But apparently Katie had seen it and decided to take action. Before Calli knew it, Katie lifted her hand and slapped her across the face.

Her head reeled to the side. The hit was not painful, only surprising. And it pushed Calli's anger over the edge. She turned her head back slowly to face Katie again.

* * *

Jacob stood on the court trying to concentrate on the game he was playing. He knew Calli wasn't far away; he could see her from there if he wanted to, but he avoided looking in that direction.

He knew what he would see; she would be preoccupied, lost in thought. Thoughts he wanted desperately to make go away but couldn't.

She had been a wreck the last few days. Nothing he did could pull her out of it. She wouldn't talk to him, not about anything of importance anyway. She avoided looking at him. He stayed with her constantly, only going home when he absolutely had to, or when Calli absolutely insisted on it.

He knew she was losing it. Whatever strength she had was diminishing quickly. He needed to do something. Being there for her wasn't enough. It wasn't anything at this point.

"Cool, girl fight," the guy next to him on the court said. Jacob turned to look at where the girls were.

"Hey, hey, hey!" he heard the girl's coach yell. "What is going on over there?"

Jacob saw Calli not far from Katie. She balled her fists up at her sides, then began walking toward Katie.

He began walking off the court.

"Knock it off Katie!" Jaqie yelled.

Jacob saw Calli reach her quickly. She looked up at Katie and pulled her fist back.

He started running full speed. He had almost closed the distance when he saw Katie lift her arm and slap Calli.

He growled loudly, not even thinking about it. He was almost right by them as he saw Calli turn her head slowly back in Katie's direction.

Before her fist could make contact with Katie's face Jacob grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Let me go!" she screamed as she turned quickly, her face full of anger. She looked like she could kill Katie. A part of Jacob almost wanted to let her. Seeing someone hit her made him furious.

The teacher came to a stop right next to Katie. "Ms. Mallory, in my office, now!"

Katie merely glared at Calli.

Jacob felt Calli try to pull out of his grasp towards Katie and held her more tightly, pulling her closer to him.

"Now!"

Katie turned quickly and walked off toward the gym.

"Calli, tell me…"

But before she could finish Calli ripped her arm from Jacob's grasp and walked quickly in the opposite direction of the gym.

Jacob went to go after her.

"Let her go Jacob. She needs to cool down," the teacher said.

Jacob stopped, watching her walk away furiously. He debated for a minute before turning back around.

"What happened?" he demanded, looking at Jaqie.

"Katie just started arguing with her. She was mad cause Calli didn't catch the ball. She just kept egging her on. Then…" She paused.

"Then what?"

"She told Calli it wasn't her fault that her…boyfriend wasn't interested in her anymore. That everyone could see it. She said she was gonna…take over…for Calli." Jaqie looked uneasily at Jacob.

His fists balled at his sides as he listened to her. He could feel himself begin to shake and took a deep breath.

Jaqie stared at him warily.

"I should've just let her hit her," he muttered as he turned to run in the direction Calli had gone.

* * *

Calli walked quickly toward the trees. Her anger wasn't lessening at all. She didn't just want to punch Katie. She wanted to kill her. She was sure that if Jacob hadn't grabbed her she would have seriously hurt her.

She knew she wasn't being rational, and she didn't care. She wanted something, anything, to release her anger on. She figured Katie's face would be a good start.

When she got to the closest tree she pulled her fist back and punched it hard. She felt the bark under her hand crunch in. She also felt something in her hand crack and a sharp pain. She looked at it and saw the torn skin across the knuckles.

"Damnit!" she screamed.

She was more frustrated that the punch had affected her than anything. She knew none of the Cullen's would have been injured by that. But she knew that her body was not like theirs. While theirs was hard and strong, hers still was soft, vulnerable. She didn't think that was very fair.

She felt a hand on her shoulder that quickly spun her around. She looked up and stared into Jacob's angry face.

He immediately reached down to grab her hand and pulled it up to look at it.

She pulled her hand out of his and tried to turn away, but he wouldn't release her.

"Just let me go Jacob!"

"No," he said calmly, grasping her even more firmly.

She began struggling, but he only held on tighter. "I said let me go!"

"You can be as mad as you want. You can scream and yell. I'll let you hit me if it makes you feel better. But I'm not going to let you pull yourself away from me. You might as well quit now."

"Just leave me alone!"

"No. That is the one thing I'm not going to do. So go ahead, do whatever you have to do to get it out." He looked her directly in the eye, and she looked away, struggling to free herself.

She pulled harder and harder, but she couldn't get out of his grasp. She put her hands up to his chest and pushed as hard as she could.

But whatever strength she had was no match for his. He barely moved. She screamed in frustration, hitting his chest with her fists, until finally she just dropped her hands to her sides, giving up.

"Feel better?"

"What do you think?" she asked icily.

He just stood there for a few minutes, his hands still grasping her arms, until he finally wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body against his chest.

She stayed stiff at first, her hands remaining at her sides. But after a few minutes she wrapped her arms around him and let her body collapse against his.

He just held her, reaching up to stroke her hair. Finally he pulled back and looked down at her. But she looked down at the ground, dropping her arms back to her sides.

He reached his hand up to her chin and pushed it up until her eyes met his. They weren't angry anymore. They were full of pain, pain he knew he had to make go away. Seeing her like that was too much. He couldn't stand for her to be hurting like this.

He looked into her eyes intently for a moment before speaking. "You know what she said isn't true," he said firmly.

She tried to move her head back down toward the ground, her whole body stiffening against his.

"No!" he said fiercely, holding her face in place. She kept her eyes away from his for just a minute before turning them back. "You are my world. You're my life. If Katie's too stupid to see that, then that's her problem. I don't need her to see it anyway. I only need you to see it."

She just looked up at him, her expression full of pain.

"I know that this is hard. I know everything is hard right now. But if you think I'm going anywhere you're crazy. If you think you can just push me away and I'll go then you're wrong. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Ever."

She looked up at him, that tortured look still in her eyes, for a long time before they finally softened and her body relaxed against his.

He put his hands on the sides of her face and leaned his face down so it was level with hers. "You know I love you. Don't _ever_ let _anyone_ make you think differently," he said fiercely before he pressed his lips softly to hers.

* * *

Jacob walked into the hospital and went to the front desk to have Carlisle paged. He came out and motioned for Jacob to follow him back into an office.

After Jacob walked in he closed the door and whirled around quickly. "Is Calli alone?" he demanded.

"Of course not. Alice came to her practice to watch."

Carlisle looked immediately relieved, then looked at Jacob carefully. "Is everything alright?"

"I think it's pretty obvious that everything is not alright. You've seen her the past few days. Something has to be done."

Carlisle sighed. "What can we do?"

"You tell me! Tell me something to do and I'll do it. This is just getting to be too damn much. She got into a fight today!"

"What?" Carlisle asked in a panicked voice. "Did she hurt someone? What happened?"

"She didn't start it. That stupid little b…brat Katie did. She was egging her on. I guess she was telling Calli how I wasn't interested anymore and she was going to step in. I wasn't there for most of it. I saw Calli go to hit her, but then she stopped. I think she realized she would probably do some serious damage. But Katie saw her, and she slapped Calli." He could feel his anger rise when he just mentioned her being hit.

"She actually hit her?" Carlisle asked incredulously.

"Yeah. I got there right as Calli went to hit her back. She didn't touch her. Trust me, this girl deserved it. I'm a little tempted to hit her myself."

"What happened after that?"

"Calli ran off. I went after her. She hit a tree…she messed up her hand a little. She fixed it though. But I'm telling you, she is falling apart. She can't keep going like this."

"I don't know that there's much more we can do. She's not sleeping, so she's not dreaming. We've told her she can stop opening her mind to him. I'm quite sure that Alice will see him coming now. Even if not, Edward will be able to recognize if he is close. I'm not sure if she's listened…she may still be opening up." Carlisle sighed. "She probably is."

"I think it's time for me…"

"No Jacob," Carlisle said firmly. "Do you think Calli will be any better if you go after him, if you are gone? If she knows that you are putting yourself in danger? That will only make things worse."

Jacob growled quietly in frustration. "What can I do? I'm there. I'm there all the time. It's not helping. I have to do something! I have to…make it go away!"

Carlisle looked thoughtful for a moment. "There's something…something she's not telling us. I know she told us that in her dream Samuel threatened us. But he threatened us that night in the clearing too. She already knew he was thinking that. I know that…what he did upset her a great deal also. But I have a feeling…there's something she's not telling us. Something happened, or something was said, in that dream, that she is keeping to herself."

"Ok," Jacob said slowly. "So how do I get her to tell me?"

Carlisle sighed. "I have no idea."

* * *

Calli looked aimlessly out the window as Alice drove home. They were silent the whole drive. Calli had nothing to say.

When they parked Calli jumped out of the car and began walking quickly toward the trees.

"Calli, where are you…" Alice began anxiously.

"Don't worry, I'm not running off," she called out and went to the edge of the lawn where she sat with her back against a tree, her legs out in front of her.

Alice just sighed and went to sit on the porch.

Calli looked away from the house. She had no desire to watch Alice babysit her.

She felt terrible. No surprise, she always felt terrible lately. She could barely look at Jacob. Every time she did Samuel's words echoed through her mind, and the pain was unbearable.

Because they were true. Because she knew, at some point, that to do the right thing, she had to let Jacob go.

But whenever she was around him, all she could think about was staying with him. All she could focus on was her tremendous need to be with him. And that made her feel even worse. She felt selfish. She should have been thinking about him, about his future.

But when she thought about her future without him she ached. There was no possible life she could imagine that he wasn't a part of. She didn't know how she would let him go.

She only knew she needed to.


	38. Chapter 37 Fragile

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- I'll just get it over with and apologize for this and future chapters now...sorry. This part of my story has been clear from the very beginning. I hope you enjoy it...on some level at least.**

* * *

"Are you sure?" Jacob asked again.

Calli sighed. "I'm sure. I'll be ok for a few hours. Go."

"I can try to get someone else to take him…"

"Jacob. Go. It's just a doctor's appointment…you're not taking a cross country trip."

Jacob looked at her intently. "I don't like leaving you," he said quietly.

She looked up into his face, giving him a small smile. But it wasn't the smile he wanted, the smile he loved. This one was guarded; forced. There wasn't any happiness in it.

"I'll be ok," she said softly, "and you'll be back soon."

"I love you," he said, leaning his forehead against hers.

He saw her swallow hard; a look of pain crossed her face before she smiled again. "I love you too."

He looked at her carefully for a minute before releasing her. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I'll be here," she sighed.

He looked at her one more time before going to the door and leaving.

Calli walked slowly over to the couch and sat, pulling her legs up underneath her and resting her head in her hand. Alice came and sat down next to her, just staring.

Finally Calli looked over and met her gaze.

"I wish I could see your future now more than ever," she said quietly.

"Why?"

Alice looked her in the eye for awhile before responding. "So I could see what you are planning to do and tell you not to."

"I'm not planning anything Alice."

"I don't know who you're trying to fool, but you're not succeeding. With any of us."

Calli turned away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You need us Calli. We're your family. You're pushing all of us away. And you're pushing Jacob away. You can't do this alone…you shouldn't have to. We're here, and we'll all do whatever we need to do to help."

Calli looked back at her. "I know…that's what scares me. Why don't you guys understand? Why can't you see how dangerous he is? What he could do to you? All because of me. You've only known me for a few months. It's not worth all of you dying for."

"We're not going to die. We can take care of ourselves, better than you give us credit for."

"Not against him. I know you're all strong, that you can all fight…but not him. If all of you could see the things I do, you would be all too happy to send me away."

"No we wouldn't."

Calli and Alice both looked up to see Rosalie standing there, an unreadable expression on her face.

She went to the other side of the couch and sat slowly, keeping her eyes locked with Calli's. Calli just stared at her incredulously.

"After that night with Samuel, I told Carlisle to make you leave. All I could think about was that I didn't want to die for you…or any of us to die for you." She sighed. "And then I started thinking about when I was changed. How terrifying it was. I thought about being surrounded by Carlisle and Esme, and Edward. And I started thinking about how much harder it would have been if I was alone."

She paused for a minute, looking down at her hands, before her eyes returned to Calli's. "But my change, all of our changes…they're different. We changed and we were done. Well, of course there are the…after effects that you have not had to deal with. But what you are dealing with…I can't imagine how I would feel if I were you. I'm sure I would be terrified. Alice is right. You shouldn't have to do this alone. You can't…and you don't have to."

"But…" Calli began.

"No…she's right," Emmett said as he went to sit next to Rosalie, taking her hand and smiling at her. Calli hadn't even noticed he was in the room. "You're a part of the family now. Besides, when I do get the chance…I'm gonna have a lot of fun kicking this guy's butt," he grinned.

She heard someone clear their throat and turned to see everyone else standing behind them. Calli just stared at Carlisle, her eyes full of pain.

"Please…" she said pleadingly.

"No Calli. We are a family. We stick together. You're going to get through this, I have no doubt whatsoever. And we are going to help you."

"I'm not even…" Calli choked out.

"You are our daughter," Esme said firmly, interrupting her. "Just like all the rest of our children."

Calli just looked around the room at everyone; the people she loved, the only family she had ever had. They all looked confident. She could see their strength, their determination. All but one, who only looked at her warily.

She stared at Bella, saying nothing. Bella stared right back.

"Jake won't let anything happen to you…trust me," she said quietly.

* * *

Jacob drove home, the whole time wanting nothing more than to turn the car around and go back to Calli. He couldn't stand leaving her. The distance wasn't quite as bad between them as it had been. But he knew things weren't right. He could see she was trying to put on an act.

He had tried talking to her about the dream, but she just kept telling him that they already knew everything. He knew she was lying; she wouldn't look him in the eye.

But he didn't want to push her. He was afraid that if one more thing, no matter how small, hit her, she wouldn't be able to take it. Sometimes it surprised him that she hadn't completely shut down already.

He could feel her pain. It affected him more than he ever knew something like that could. Every time he saw that pained expression on her face he ached. All he wanted, all he needed right now, was to make things better for her.

But he didn't know how. He desperately wanted to go after Samuel. He imagined on more than one occasion tearing him to pieces. He couldn't think of anything more satisfying than eliminating him, the one thing he knew was affecting Calli most of all.

But he knew Carlisle was right. If he left now, if Calli knew he was going after Samuel, it would have a devastating effect. She was already terrified for all of them. If she knew he was putting himself out there like that he was sure it would hurt her more, and he couldn't do that. As much as he wanted to go after him, he knew that now, at least, was not the time.

He pulled his car into the drive, feeling it shake slightly just before he turned it off. He didn't pay much attention to it.

He jumped out of the car and went to get his dad. He wheeled him out to the car and got him situated in the front seat, putting his wheelchair in the back and then coming around to the driver's side.

He got in, put the key in the ignition and turned it; but nothing happened. He turned it again, but still nothing. "What the hell?" he muttered.

"What's wrong with it?" Billy asked.

"I don't know. Hang on." He pushed the lever to pop the hood and got out, inspecting the engine. He couldn't see anything immediately wrong.

"Jake?"

Jacob walked over to the passenger door and opened it. "I don't know what's wrong with the damn thing. Come on. I'll call Sue and ask her if she can take you."

He helped Billy back into the wheelchair and went to call Sue, who said she would be right over.

He went back outside to look at the engine again. He stood there for a minute before getting back in the car and trying to start it again; still nothing. He got back out and went around to the front of the car again.

Just then he heard Sue pull up. Billy came back out and he and Jacob made their way to where Sue was parked. Jacob winced as he saw that Leah was with her.

"Car trouble?" Sue asked.

"Yeah, stupid thing won't start," he muttered.

"Well, let's get going before we're late."

Jacob got Billy settled in the cab of the truck before putting the chair in the bed and climbing in. Leah climbed in with him, and he sighed, looking away from her as they drove away. The last thing he needed was to get into an argument with her. But surprisingly she was silent during the whole trip.

They got in and out of the appointment pretty quickly, and soon were headed back to the house, with Leah still not saying a word.

When they arrived he got Billy back into his chair and went back over to his car to try and start it, to no avail. He went around to the front again, messing with the engine for a little bit before he finally gave up and slammed the hood down.

He had no idea how long this could take, and he didn't want to be away from Calli for any longer than he had to. He went into the house and found his dad, Sue, and Leah all in the front room.

"I don't know what's wrong with it," he said to Billy, "but I'll mess around with it later. I'm just gonna head to Calli's on foot."

"Has it been giving you trouble lately?" Billy asked.

"No." He paused. "Actually, it felt a little shaky when I pulled it in today." He looked thoughtful for a moment, finally shaking his head. "Whatever, I'll look at it more later. I'm gonna go."

"Alright then, I'll see you later."

"Bye Jake," Sue said.

Leah remained silent. He walked out the front door and took off running. Every stride he took made him feel better; he was that much closer to Calli. When he reached the forest not far from the house he slowed to a quick walk.

"Jake!" he heard from behind him.

He turned around to see Leah closing the large gap between them quickly. He stared at her in confusion. When she was just a few yards away she stopped.

"What are you doing here?" he asked impatiently.

"I need to talk to you."

He sighed in frustration. "Can't it wait until later?"

"No," she said firmly.

He glared at her for a moment. "Fine. What is it?"

"Jake, look at what you're doing. Why are you still with her? You know what she is, you know…"

"That is none of your business!" he interrupted angrily. "And if you have any sense you'll keep your mouth shut about Calli."

"It is too my business! We're supposed to kill them. Not date them!"

"Shut up Leah!"

"What kind of life can you even have with her?" her voice took on a pleading tone. "Think about the stuff you're giving up. She's not worth it. What about things like a family, she can't do any of that…"

* * *

Calli stood with everyone around the piano, listening to the beautiful melody Edward played. She had always wished she could play the way he did now, so graceful and naturally. She looked over to see Bella staring at him, her eyes full of emotion. It was obvious how much she loved him.

She was willing to die for him. She was willing to give up any kind of life she might have to spend eternity with him. Did she ever have regrets, doubts? Did she ever wonder what her life could have been? Did Edward ever look at her and feel guilt for the life she would never have?

Did any of it really matter to them? She knew it mattered to her. She knew she wanted Jacob to have a full, complete life.

Calli knew that at some point Bella must have contemplated another kind of life for herself; she had been with Jacob in some way, they had loved each other.

The song ended, and Edward turned around and just stared at Bella. After a moment he turned his eyes to Calli. "Maybe you should play something for us Calli. Bella and I missed the song you sang for everyone. We heard you're very good."

"Oh, I don't think…" Calli began, but stopped suddenly, turning her eyes to the door curiously.

"Calli? Calli, what is it?"

"I don't know," she murmured. She didn't know. She just knew she felt something; something trying to draw her out. She looked up at the others before going to the door and darting outside.

"Calli no!" she heard Carlisle yell, but she continued running, making her way into the trees.

* * *

"Leah I am not having this discussion with you!"

"Would you just listen to…"

"No! I've listened to you say the same old crap over and over! You don't like me being with Calli? Well too bad! I don't care. It's none of your business. Go home," he spat at her before turning around angrily.

He started walking away quickly when he felt her pull on his arm, swinging him around. Before he knew what had happened her lips were pressed firmly to his.

It took him a moment to realize what was happening. When he did he shoved her off of him hard, a bewildered expression coming over his face.

It quickly turned to anger. "What the hell!" he yelled, glaring at her. But her eyes wouldn't meet his. They were looking directly behind him. He turned around quickly.

Calli stared back at him.


	39. Chapter 38 Break

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Jacob stared at Calli, unable to move.

But she had turned her eyes to Leah and was glaring at her angrily. He saw the Cullen's standing behind her with shocked expressions.

Calli's eyes met his again, and they held the same anger they had for Leah.

He finally took a step toward her. "Calli…"

"Don't!" she said firmly, holding up her hand to stop him. He froze in place, just looking into her eyes before he heard a low growl behind him.

He spun around quickly to see Leah glaring menacingly at Calli. She growled again.

"Don't you dare!" he shouted.

He heard another growl and spun around again. This time it was Calli who was growling. He had never heard anything like that come from her. She met Leah's menacing glare with one of her own.

"I'm not afraid of you bloodsucker," Leah spat at her.

Jacob turned around, growling loudly at her. She looked taken aback for a moment, but soon resumed her angry glare.

"You sure about that?" Calli said threateningly.

"I already know your powers, or whatever the hell they are don't work on me. I could tear you apart easily."

"Shut up Leah!" Jacob screamed.

"Let's see what I can do to change your mind," Calli hissed.

She stared angrily at Leah for a minute before a loud crack of thunder sounded. The wind raced through the trees, blowing the leaves around furiously, the branches whipping against each other.

Leah broke her gaze with Calli and looked around, her face showing signs of fear. A moss covered rock on the ground rose fluidly and flew through the air, stopping just in front of Leah's face. She stared at it incredulously and began backing up slowly.

Jacob turned to look at Calli, but she was completely focused on Leah.

"Next time you think about threatening me, you might want to think again," Calli growled menacingly.

Leah looked at Calli warily for a minute before a determined expression came over her face. "He has no future with you. You're ruining his life."

"I swear Leah, if you don't shut you're mouth…" Jacob screamed, turning back toward her.

The rock that had been hovering in front of her face dropped quickly to the ground.

Jacob turned back to look at Calli. There was no longer any anger present in her face; it was replaced by a look of pain.

"Calli, I didn't kiss her," he said firmly, starting toward her again.

"Don't," she said again, her voice filled with agony. She looked into his eyes for a moment, and then before he could even blink she was gone.

"Calli!"

He saw the others go after her. He stood there, frozen in place, before he turned around slowly to look at Leah. He felt himself begin to shake.

"Jake, you know…"

"Go home now Leah, or I can't promise that I won't kill you," he said in a slow, even tone.

This time she got the message loud and clear. She only glanced at him for a second, seeing something that obviously frightened her, before she turned and ran away.

He turned and ran quickly to the house, bursting through the door. He saw everyone standing in the living room.

"Where is she?" he practically shouted.

"She's in her room Jacob. Calm down," Carlisle replied.

He went toward the stairs.

Carlisle grabbed his arm. "No Jacob," he said firmly.

"I have to tell her…"

"She needs to be alone right now. She needs to compose herself."

"No!"

"Jacob, do you really think now is the best time to push her?" he asked pointedly.

He glared at Carlisle for a moment before softening his expression. "She has to know…" he said in a choked voice.

"Give her time," he said softly.

He just looked at him, saying nothing, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"She'll come around Jake," Bella said quietly. "She knows you would never do that."

He turned slowly to look at her. He stared at her for a long time before speaking. "I didn't…"

"I know. Just give her some time."

* * *

"It's been two days! She won't even talk to me! She won't come out of her room!" Jacob hurled at Leah.

"Jake, please…" Sam began.

"Good!" Leah spat back.

Jacob growled loudly, taking a step in her direction.

Sam put a hand on his chest to stop him. "Jake, calm down. And Leah, be quiet," he said angrily, looking at her.

"Do you have any idea what you did? What she's already been through?! I should rip your throat out!"

"Oh, poor little bloodsucker! I have a good idea. Let's just go ahead and put her out of her misery!"

Jacob made a move toward her, growling furiously. Sam stepped in front of him to hold him back. Quil came over to help him.

"Shut up Leah!" Quil growled.

"Oh, go ahead, everyone defend her right along with him! I did us a favor! Look at what is happening to the pack because of that little leech!"

Jacob struggled against them even harder, his growls becoming louder.

"If you call her one more name Leah I swear I'm gonna let him go!" Quil yelled.

"Stop now!" Billy shouted.

Jacob stopped struggling and looked over at him.

"Everyone calm down. And stop shouting at each other. Jacob, go sit and pull yourself together.

Jacob glared at Leah, who was standing just a few feet away from the couch.

"Leah if I were you I'd stick close to the door. You might need a quick exit," Quil said hotly.

She glared at him but moved away from the couch, closer to the front door.

Jacob went and sat down, putting his head in his hands and breathing deeply.

"Now, we're going to talk civilly. Sam, I believe you have a few things to say." Billy motioned in Sam's direction.

Sam turned toward Leah. "Leah," he began sternly, "I have told you many times that this is Jacob's decision, and that we have no say in it. He has…"

"Maybe you should be a little less concerned with the damn imprinting and more concerned about the pack," she said icily. "Look what is happening to us!"

"Maybe you should stop being a little brat because imprinting didn't work in your favor," Quil said angrily.

Leah glared at him, her face turning beet red. "You shut your…"

"Enough!" Sam said loudly. "Quil, be quiet. Leah, I am not going to tell you again. If you don't leave this be there are going to be consequences."

"Consequences? And what consequences does Jacob have to pay, huh?!" she shouted.

"Jacob has done nothing wrong! It doesn't matter if you don't like it, or you don't agree. It's not your decision. You will leave Jacob alone. You will stay out of this. Do you understand me?"

Leah just glared at him, saying nothing.

"Now leave. And if you have any sense of self preservation you will stay far away from Jake."

"You're all being idiots," she spat angrily as she opened the door and walked out, slamming it behind her.

Jacob was still sitting with his head in his hands, unmoving.

"Jake," Sam said quietly.

"She's mad. Ok, I guess I get that,' he began, raising his head and looking at them. "Why the hell would she kiss me? She didn't know Calli was there. Or at least I didn't know. I'm pretty sure she didn't. Did she just do it to piss me off?"

Sam drew in a long breath, then exhaled slowly. "She didn't do it to make you mad Jake. She had…other reasons."

"What other reasons?"

Sam waited awhile before answering, Jacob looking at him expectantly. "Leah has…feelings for you," Sam said warily.

"What? What the hell are you talking about?"

Sam sighed. "I think it started after the fight. Maybe because you saved her, I don't know. It was pretty obvious, but you were so tied up with everything that was happening with Bella…and then Calli came along."

"No way does she have feelings for me," Jacob said skeptically.

"Yeah man, she does," Quil chimed in. "You've just been really preoccupied."

"I think she thought that if…she kissed you, maybe you would change your mind," Sam said quietly.

"Change my mind! That's…"

"We know that Jacob, because we have imprinted," Sam interrupted, anticipating what he was going to say. "But Leah has not. And she already has…issues with the imprinting."

Jacob let out a low, frustrated growl. "What the hell am I gonna do?"

"There has to be a way you can talk to her," Quil said.

"She won't talk to anyone! She hasn't even come out of her room. It's spring break, so we're not in school. Her door is…I don't know what she's doing to it, but no one can get in. Damnit!"

"I'm sure she just needs time," Billy said softly.

"Not alone time! She was already so close…she was already breaking. Even that day, I was thinking to myself how one little thing would push her over the edge. And this was not some little thing! She was…I've never seen her like that. She was…scary."

"Well, it's obvious she didn't truly want to hurt Leah," Billy said.

"What?" Jacob asked in confusion.

"If she had wanted to hurt her she would have. And it wouldn't have been unexpected. But she didn't. It's pretty clear her intent was only to scare her."

"I guess."

"Does she think you kissed her back?" Quil asked.

Jacob sighed. "I think she might."

* * *

Carlisle banged loudly on the door. Whatever Calli was doing to it was working well. None of them could get through. "Calli, you need to come out! You need to talk to us."

There was only silence. He sighed and walked down the stairs, going to the couch and sitting down next to Esme.

"You know, I have half a mind to go kill that dog," Emmett said angrily.

"She really didn't need this right now," Alice said grimly. "She was coming around! That talk really helped. And now…" she trailed off.

They were silent for a few minutes.

"Why did she go out there?" Bella asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Why did she run out there? She can't read their minds. I'm pretty sure she didn't smell them. I mean they were pretty far away, right? So what made her go out there?"

"That's a very good question," Carlisle said thoughtfully. "One we'll never get to ask her if she doesn't come out of there."

There was a quick knock on the door and it opened. Jacob walked in and looked at Carlisle expectantly. He just shook his head grimly.

"It's been four days!" Jacob practically shouted. "There has to be a way to get in there!"

Carlisle sighed. "The door and window are barricaded somehow. I have no idea what she is doing to them."

Jacob ran up the stairs and began banging furiously on the door. "Open the door Calli!" he shouted. He kept banging for a few minutes before the noise stopped abruptly.

He walked slowly down the stairs and looked at Carlisle warily. "What…if she's not in there?"

Carlisle stared back for a moment before he jumped up.

"She has to be in there. How could she have gotten past us?" Emmett said.

"Well obviously she's proven herself to be very skilled," Carlisle said grimly as he darted up the stairs.

Jacob followed him and went to bang on the door again, but Carlisle put out a hand to stop him.

"Calli, if you don't want to come out right now, that's fine."

Jacob looked at him incredulously, but Carlisle continued to look at the door. "Please just give us some kind of indication you're still in there."

There was nothing but silence. Carlisle knocked loudly; but still nothing.

"No," Jacob breathed in agony.


	40. Chapter 39 Not if but Where

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

"She might still be in there," Alice said half heartedly.

"Really? So you're not the one who told Carlisle you thought she might take off?"

Alice's eyes widened and she looked away from Jacob to the floor.

"Do you think she's still in there?" Jacob looked at Carlisle pleadingly.

Carlisle looked away from him. He remained silent for a long time before finally answering. "I don't know," he said quietly.

Jacob resumed his frantic pacing, his hands balling into fists and then straightening out again over and over.

"But the door and window are barricaded. Doesn't that mean she's in there doing that?" Bella said pointedly.

"We don't know if she has the ability to do that and then…leave somehow," Carlisle answered. "Calli's powers are a mystery. I doubt that even she knows how far they go."

"I don't think that whether she has left is the most important question," Edward said quietly.

Everyone looked at him quickly. His eyes went to Jacob's. "It's where did she go if she has."

Jacob let out a loud roar.

"But we don't know if she even has," Bella added quickly, giving Edward a stern look. Her eyes turned to Jacob. "She could be up there for all we know."

"Would she go to him?" Jacob asked no one in particular, his voice cracking.

"If she thought she was protecting us by doing so…then I think she would."

"I…I…this can't be happening. What do I do? Do I go after him? How do I find him?" Jacob looked to Carlisle.

"You have no way to track him," he answered quietly. "You cannot smell him. There's no trail to follow."

"Don't tell me to do nothing!" Jacob screamed. "That's what I've been doing this whole damn time!"

Carlisle ran his hands over his face. "Look, Bella is right. We're not completely sure she has left."

Jacob went to say something but Carlisle put up his hand to stop him. "And if she has left…it is most likely because she is very…emotional right now." Jacob looked down at the floor. " We…just have to…hope, first and foremost, that she is up there. And that if she's not…that she will come back."

"Hope? Hope?! I'm just supposed to sit here and hope? Screw that!"

"And what if you take off after him, having no idea whatsoever where he is, or how to go about finding him…and Calli really is up there? And she comes and finds that you are gone. How much do you think that will help the situation?" Carlisle stared at him expectantly.

"And what if she's with that jackass and he's feeding her a bunch of crap?" Emmett asked angrily.

A low growl erupted from Jacob.

"Until we know for sure I think Carlisle's right…we just have to wait," Alice added.

"I…I have to get out of here," Jacob said angrily and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

He went right home, Carlisle's words hitting him hard. What if she was up there and when she finally came down he was gone? He knew that would be awful, for both of them. And, truthfully, he had absolutely no idea how to find Samuel. He would just be wandering around aimlessly.

When he got to the house he went directly to his room, not even glancing at Billy. He slammed his door and fell down onto his bed. He kicked his shoes off and sat up to pull his shirt off, then fell back again, putting his arm over his eyes and sighing.

He had thought nothing could feel worse than when he had been pretending to hate Calli. But this was so much worse. Because, as hard as that had been, he hadn't known what it was like to be with her. And now he did, and she was just…not there. And it was ripping him apart.

He lay there until he was so angry he was shaking. He finally jumped up and threw his door open, going down the hall to the bathroom. He went inside and slammed the door. He turned the water on as hot as it would go and stripped down, stepping in and letting the water relax what it could.

He just stood under the water for a long time, his eyes closed, a picture of Calli in his mind the entire time.

When the water began running cold he turned it off and got out. He wrapped a towel around his waist and went back to his bedroom, putting on a pair of boxers and collapsing down onto the bed once again.

What if she wasn't up there? That thought played its way through his mind for the millionth time. He couldn't imagine Calli going to Samuel. She couldn't think that was the right decision.

And could she really leave him? Was she able to do that? He knew he couldn't possibly leave her, that it just wasn't an option. But…what if he thought she would die if he didn't? Would things be different then? He lay there racking his brain with thoughts of her.

* * *

He was fairly sure this was a dream. He was in a brightly lit part of the forest. He was surprised that there was so much light; there was a full moon that, surprisingly, was not covered by any clouds.

He looked around, but he didn't see anyone. He walked along in the forest for awhile until finally he heard low voices. He came through a line of trees…and now he recognized where he was.

The clearing where Calli had been bitten. When he looked across, he saw Samuel; and Calli was standing right next to him. He yelled for her, beginning to run in their direction. But neither of them seemed to hear him.

That was the point where he figured it had to be a dream. Because neither of them seemed to be aware he was there at all. He stood back, not sure what to do. They kept speaking in hushed tones. No matter how hard he listened he couldn't hear a word of what they were saying. A big smile came across Samuel's face; Calli just stared back, her expression impassive.

And before he knew what had happened Samuel stabbed Calli in the stomach. She collapsed to the ground. Jacob roared furiously and ran, closing the last of the distance between them. But when he got to the spot they had been; they were gone. There was no one there but him. He spun around.

And suddenly it was daytime in the forest. He was looking through another line of trees; at Calli. It was the first time he had ever seen her. She walked, with her head up, smiling toward the sky.

And he found himself smiling. He crossed the line of trees and began making his way toward her. When she finally noticed he was walking toward her she just stared at him. He stopped right in front of her. He reached his hand out and lightly touched her face.

A blush crept to her cheeks. He just stood there, staring, before finally moving his hand down to her chest.

And under his hand her heart beat furiously. He gasped and looked down at his hand for a long time. Finally he looked back up into her face. She smiled at him and shook her head.

And then she was gone; she disappeared right before his eyes.

And when he looked around the sun was just setting. When he spun around he saw an image he had seen thousands of times. Calli lay still on the forest floor; she appeared to be sleeping.

But the bite mark was clearly visible on her neck. He heard himself whimper quietly, and he began walking toward her. When he reached her he dropped down to his knees and pulled her body to his chest; but she remained limp.

And then the scene changed again. He was still holding her in his arms; but her eyes were wide, looking up at him. Her hand held her stomach where Samuel had stabbed her.

* * *

Jacob sat up quickly, bathed in sweat. He was breathing rapidly and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. The images from his dream replayed themselves in his mind.

He jumped up and threw some clothes on, then ran outside and got in the car. He drove as fast as he could until he reached the house. Dawn was just barely beginning to break.

He ran up the steps and threw the door open without knocking. Everyone but Bella was in the living room. Carlisle was pacing and stopped as soon as he saw Jacob. Everyone looked at him with grim expressions.

"Anything?" he demanded.

Edward looked toward Carlisle. Carlisle looked at Jacob. Everyone else looked down at the floor.

"What? What is it? Is she in there? Did you hear something?"

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Edward…Edward heard something."

"From her room? What was it?"

"No Jacob. Not from her room. From…Samuel."

Immediately Jacob's entire body tensed up. He felt his heart quicken and he swallowed hard. "Heard something….from Samuel? As in he talked to you?"

Edward's expression remained grim. "No…not exactly."

"Would someone just tell me what the hell happened?" he shouted.

"I…I can hear him…laughing. In my head, I can hear Samuel laughing."

All the air left Jacob's body and he swayed slightly. "Calli," he whispered.

He stood there for a long time, trying desperately to breathe, before he finally ran up the stairs. He heard everyone run up after him.

When he got to Calli's door he began banging his fists on it wildly. He didn't even know why he was doing it. Samuel was making it pretty clear that she wasn't in there.

That thought made him even angrier and he growled loudly, pounding his fists even harder.

"Jacob, stop!" Carlisle commanded.

Jacob banged on the door a few more times, softer, before he finally stopped, his fists resting against it still. He leaned his forehead against the door. "Please…there…has to be a way to find out. We have to find a way," he choked out in barely more than a whisper.

"I don't…" Carlisle began.

The loud thud from the other side of the door interrupted him.


	41. Chapter 40 Secrets We Keep

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

"She didn't show up for school?" Sam asked quietly.

"No."

"Did you go over there?"

Jacob sighed, running his hands over his face. "How much more can I bang on her door, yell at her to come out? I went to check…she still hasn't come out yet." He put his fingers to his temples. "I can't sit there, knowing she's only a few feet away…and that I can't get to her!" he roared.

He stood up and walked to the closest tree, hitting it as hard as he could. He heard the trunk crack, but the tree remained upright. He hit it one more time and it cracked loudly again, falling to the ground.

"Damnit!" he screamed.

"She has to come out eventually."

"I can't do this Sam. I'm losing it. I feel like I'm dying. I feel like something's crushing me…like I can't breath." He paced back and forth, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"I'm sorry Jake."

Jacob cried out in frustration. "I don't even know if she's ok! No, I do know. I know she's not ok, and I can't do anything!"

"I…I wish I knew what to say."

"I'm losing my mind. It hurts…it hurts not seeing her. I feel it physically. My mind, my whole body, is screaming at me to go to her…and I can't! I can't even see her! This is going to kill me…it feels like it's gonna kill me."

"She will come out Jake. It's just…taking awhile," Sam said quietly. "She has to come out."

"I don't know if I can even make it much longer. I don't know if she can…I don't know if she's making it now." He sighed. "What am I gonna do?"

"I wish I could tell you," Sam said softly.

* * *

Calli paced back and forth, shaking her hands out as she did. Her whole body felt tense, wound up. She felt like she wanted to hit something, tear something apart.

She was going on her seventh day; she still hadn't set foot out of the room. She felt weak. She still felt pretty sick too. Those first few days had been the worst pain she had felt so far, but she was afraid there was more coming. She had almost felt crippled. It had let up a lot though.

But the entire time she had felt that intense desire, that physical need, to go to Jacob. Right now it felt like it was manifesting itself, like she had to get it out. It had only been a week; how was she supposed to do this for any longer? Everything in her cried out, told her to go to him.

But she knew she couldn't. She wanted him. She wanted him for herself. But she knew that, somewhere out there, there was someone who could give him everything he should have, everything he deserved. And she couldn't stand the thought of holding him back from that.

After the first few days of pounding on her door she had worn her headphones constantly, trying to block out as much of his voice as she could. She hated hearing him upset, hearing him in pain.

But she knew that, in the end, it was for the best; that she would be doing the right thing for him. As for her; she didn't know how she would survive without him. But she knew this was what she needed to do.

She also knew she couldn't stay in this room forever. She had to go out; she would have to face them all sometime. Jacob wasn't there, which was good. She knew she would see him eventually, but she wasn't ready yet.

She sighed and walked over to the door, opening it and walking slowly over to the stairs. She walked down quietly and looked around to see everyone in the living room, talking amongst themselves.

Carlisle was the only one not participating in the conversation. He was pacing back and forth near the foot of the stairs and was the first one to spot her. He stopped moving and just looked at her, wide eyed.

"Calli!" Alice exclaimed, rushing over to the stairs.

Calli reached the foot of the stairs and looked around at them all. They had all risen from their seats and were staring at her.

"Are you ok?" Esme asked slowly.

Calli looked at her. "I'm fine," she said quickly.

"Fine?" said Rosalie.

"Yes."

"No Calli, you don't lock yourself in a room for a week when you're fine," Carlisle said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Well I'm fine now. I just wanted to be by myself."

The room was silent; everyone continued to stare at her.

"Well, I just wanted to let you guys know I was ok." She turned around and went to walk back upstairs.

"Wait!"

Calli turned to look at Bella.

"You have to go see Jake," she said firmly.

Calli looked her directly in the eye. "No."

"What do you mean 'no'?" she demanded.

"I mean no."

"He's going crazy! You have to go talk to him. You have to let him explain."

Calli stared at her for a moment before she turned around again and began making her way upstairs.

"If you think he actually kissed her then you obviously don't know him very well!" she almost shouted.

Calli stopped. She turned slowly and made her way back down the stairs, walking over and stopping just a few feet from Bella. She could hear the anguish in her voice at the thought of Jacob hurting.

"How stupid do you think I am?" Calli said quietly.

"What?" Bella asked in confusion.

"I know that Jacob didn't kiss her."

"What? What do you mean you know?" she demanded angrily.

"Leah just made this whole thing easier."

"Easier? What whole thing? What are you talking about?"

"None of you understand anything. I can feel what's happening to me. I could barely move those first few days I was up in my room. The pain is getting worse…it's getting closer. There's a good chance in a little while…that I'll be dead."

"Calli, you…" Carlisle began.

"He doesn't just show me the ones that died, you know," she said, interrupting him. "He shows me the ones that lived. I'm not sure which is worse…watching the ones that died, or watching the ones who completely lost themselves. Whose power totally took them over. The ones who turned into complete monsters."

She paused. "So which one would be better Bella? Should Jacob stay with me and watch me die, or should he just see me turn into some horrible, uncontrollable thing?"

Bella stared at her, wide eyed, before the angry look came back. "It's not just your choice to make."

"What?"

"It's his choice if he wants to be with you…you don't get to make it for him."

"I will," Calli said angrily before she turned around and went back to the stairs.

"He's saying those things to get you to do this Calli. This is what he wants. You're letting him win," Edward said firmly.

Calli turned slowly and just stared at him, saying nothing.

"What did he say to you? The same thing Leah said?" Calli cringed slightly. "He said it in that dream I bet…that's what you kept from us. He told you that Jacob has no future with you? That you are ruining his life? That he could be happy without you…that he could have a real life?"

"What are you…" Bella began.

"He's right," Calli said quietly, interrupting her. "What kind of future can I give him? Not the one he deserves…not the one he should have."

"Oh Calli," Esme said softly.

"Are you serious? Are you really going to do this?" Bella demanded angrily.

"Do what? Give him a chance at a real life? You care about him. Don't you want to see him have some kind of life? Some kind of future? Do you really think I can give him that? You know I can't."

"I want to see him happy! You make him happy. He loves you."

Calli smiled a small, sad smile. "Right now. But he could love someone else. He will. If I let him go." She turned around and began making her way slowly up the stairs.

"You're thinking with your head. You should be thinking with your heart!" Bella called after her.

Calli stopped so abruptly that she almost stumbled on the stairs. She turned slowly, sure that the look of shock was evident on her face. The memory of her dream hit her full force.

_Other Calli turned Calli to face her, putting both hands on her shoulders. "I won't be here much longer. Listen to me. You are going to have tough times ahead of you. You need to make the right decisions. Your head will tell you one thing while your heart tells you another. Make sure you listen to the right one. If you don't, you may not get through this."_

"_What do you mean? Which one should I listen to then?"_

"_You know. You may not think you do, but you do. Listen. Always be sure to listen. Not just to me. To the others. They're in your life for a reason. And they will tell you things for a reason. Listen to them Calli." She turned to walk away._

"Why…why did you say that?" Calli asked in a choked whisper.

Bella stared at her intently. "Because it's the truth. Edward left me."

Calli looked over at Edward, seeing the pain those three little words inflicted on him.

"He thought he was doing the best thing for me. He thought it was the right thing. He thought I would be better off." Bella paused. "He was wrong. Just because things weren't perfect, just because they weren't ideal, doesn't mean they weren't meant to be. It doesn't matter how hard it was. It doesn't matter how impossible it seemed. I was meant to be with him. I know Jake feels the same way about you."

Calli just stood there, unmoving, staring at her.

"Edward leaving almost got both of us killed. He was trying to choose for me, trying to choose what was best for me. But it wasn't his choice. You can't just choose to make Jake stop loving you. It doesn't work that way. He deserves to make the decision whether he wants to be with you or not. Don't do this to him."

Calli looked at her intently for a long time before speaking. "No," she finally said. "He can love someone else."

"No he can't!" Bella shouted. "He's…"

"Bella, don't!" Edward said harshly, interrupting her.

"Imprinted to you," she finished. "I don't care Edward. If it makes her see then I don't care."

"What?" Emmett said incredulously.

"He's what? Imprinted? What is that?" Calli asked in confusion.

"No way," Alice breathed quietly.

"What? What are you talking about?"

Bella just stared for a minute before answering. "The pack…all the werewolves…they can imprint. When they find their imprint, they look at them, and all of a sudden…they've found their other half. Their soul mate. The one…the one they are meant to be with."

Bella choked up on the last part and cleared her throat. "You are Jacob's imprint. You're his soul mate. You are the only one he is meant to be with. He won't love someone else. Only you."

"He's imprinted to her?" Emmett asked, his voice still registering shock. "Is that even possible?"

"I…I don't understand."

"You are his soul mate. You two are meant to be together. It's simple. He will only ever love you. He can't love someone else."

"How could he imprint on a vampire?" Rosalie asked.

"Yeah." Calli said. "You're telling me that a werewolf did this…imprint…soul mate…thing, whatever, on someone who was a vampire? Someone who they are supposed to kill? Jacob…he hated me when he first met me."

Calli stared at Bella, but she looked away uncomfortably. She looked at Edward to see he was shifting around as if he were uncomfortable also.

"What? What is it?"

"Calli," Carlisle began. "Calli, come sit down here with me." He took her arm and guided her over to the couch. He sat down and she sat next to him, staring at him expectantly.

"The day…the day you were attacked," he paused. "Jacob…he saw you. He saw you before you were attacked. He imprinted on you…while you were still…human."

"I…what? I don't understand. This doesn't make any sense," she said in a dazed voice.

"When he saw you," Edward began, "and he imprinted, it upset him…it frightened him. He ran. He…he heard you scream when you were attacked. That's when he came and found you…with Samuel."

"He…he saw me? Before…before Samuel…before he…I don't understand. It scared him? It upset him? Why would it…"

She trailed off as soon as she looked at Bella. She remembered all the things she and Jacob had discussed regarding Bella. And it all began to click.

She stared at Bella intently. "Because…because it wasn't you. Because he wanted it to be you."

Bella finally met her eyes. "But it wasn't me," she said softly. "Because he was meant…he was meant to be with you. Just you."

Calli jumped up. "No! It was supposed to be me when I was human! When I was alive! He didn't imprint…whatever, on a vampire. Because he's not meant to be with a vampire!"

Bella stood opposite of her. "It doesn't matter! He loves you! He wants to be with you. It doesn't matter what you are, what he is. He's meant to be with you! And he wants to be with you!"

"How is it any different than what Samuel does? My connection to him is forced! So is Jacob's connection to me!"

"It's not like that," Bella said firmly. "It doesn't force him to be with you. It shows him who his soul mate is."

"Who his soul mate was. Before his soul mate got attacked by a vampire."

"That doesn't matter. Not to him. It shouldn't matter to you either! You love him. He loves you. That's all that matters."

Calli moved around her and darted up the stairs.

"Don't do this to him Calli. Please," Bella pleaded.

Calli stopped at the top of the stairs and looked at her briefly. "I can't do this right now," she said in a choked voice, then ran to her room.

* * *

Jacob walked along the beach, looking up at the darkening sky. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he walked briskly. He didn't even try to push the thoughts away. All he had right now were thoughts of Calli. He clung to them, trying desperately to dredge up every one he could.

She hadn't been at school today, again. He had gone to the house once before and once after school. Carlisle had just looked at him strangely, appearing uncomfortable, and shook his head.

Jacob didn't bother trying to go up and bang on the door. It was just too much, knowing she was right on the other side and he couldn't get to her. He had just come home and laid stretched out on his bed, pulling out every memory of her he had, trying to let those comfort him.

But they hadn't really had the desired effect. They just made the desperation to see her greater. The need to touch her, to pull her to him, to hold her, was extraordinarily powerful. He could feel it coursing through him. And with every second he wasn't with her he felt like he was dying more and more.

There was no life without her. There was no point without her. She was his life. And currently his reason for living was separated from him by a single, insignificant door and a large misconception.

He sighed heavily and looked out over the water, closing his eyes against the overwhelming pain.

"Hey," said a soft voice from behind him.

* * *

**A/N- In case anyone is confused...Calli never actually left her room. When I originally wrote the story, Calli indicated she was in her room at the end of ch 38, and then this one came next. But as I went to post I couldn't help but add a little more suspense. So I wrote ch 39 and stuck it in there.**


	42. Chapter 41 Letting Go

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Jacob turned around quickly. Standing just a few yards away was Bella, looking at him warily.

"Bella?"

She gave him a small smile. "Hey."

He cleared his throat. "Hey. What, uh…what are you doing here?"

She looked down at the ground quickly. "I just…wanted to come and see you." She looked back up into his eyes and sighed. "You look terrible."

"Well, it fits," he mumbled.

"How are you?" she asked softly.

"Just how I look…terrible," he said in a strained voice, running his hands over his face.

"Can we…talk?" she asked hesitantly.

He looked at her carefully. "Yeah, sure."

"It's been so long since we talked. It feels like it's been forever," she murmured thoughtfully as they walked along the beach.

"It does. That all just feels like a totally different life."

Bella sighed. "I guess a lot has happened."

"Yeah."

She looked over toward the tree; their driftwood tree. "Let's go and sit," she said, motioning to it.

Jacob followed her and they sat down a few feet apart; that was probably the most distance that had ever been between them when they were alone.

It was a long time before either of them spoke.

"I…I was really hoping we would stay friends Jake. That we could still be…something."

He eyed her quizzically. "Did you really think that was going to be possible? After everything that had happened? Come on Bella. You know better."

"But…things are different now. Aren't they?"

Jacob sighed. "Yeah…they're a lot different."

"It's not so hard to understand anymore, is it?" she asked gently, looking into his eyes.

He just stared back, staying silent for a minute. "No, it's not," he finally conceded, looking down at the ground.

"Although I guess it is kind of different. I didn't imprint on Edward."

His head jerked up and he stared at her. "Edward…he knew."

She just nodded.

He rubbed his hands over his face. " Well, I guess I kind of expected that." He paused. "I don't think it's so much different. Calli…I…I think I would have loved her anyway. Even if I hadn't imprinted."

Bella looked at him skeptically. "Even knowing what she was?"

He shook his head slightly. "I don't think I would have been able not to. I never saw that in her. I only saw…her."

"But maybe that's just because you imprinted on her."

"Maybe. But I just…have a feeling, I guess."

She hesitated before speaking again. "Do you ever think…that you're better off?"

He stared at her for a minute before a small smile came to his face. "Déjà vu, huh? No…I can't be better off without her. It's not possible."

There was silence for a few minutes.

"Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you…do you still love me?" she asked quickly, avoiding eye contact.

He was quiet for a minute before responding. "No. Not in that way, anyways. I'm sure that is because of the imprinting. All I see…is her."

Bella gave a small smile, although she didn't look at him.

"I still care about you," he said softly, staring at her. "I always will."

She looked up and met his eyes. "I know," she whispered. She cleared her throat. "She makes you happy."

Jacob looked out toward the water, swallowing hard. "Yeah."

"Is it much different? From me, I mean?"

Jacob kept staring at the water for a minute before turning back to her. "I wanted to be with you…so badly. But I knew, even if you did by some chance choose me, I knew you would always think of him…that you would always love him. That I would never be the only one."

"But with Calli," he looked down at his hands, his throat constricting when he said her name. "With her, it's not like that. When she looks at me…" he looked back up at her. "I know she only sees me. That she only loves me. I never even knew it was possible to love someone so much, so completely."

Bella just looked away, her eyes clouded over.

It was awhile before Jacob broke the silence. "How do you feel about her?"

She sighed. "I've thought about that so much. As a person, I don't have a problem with her. Her being with you…well, obviously that's a little…difficult for me. But…" she trailed off.

"But what?"

"It will probably just sound stupid." He just looked at her expectantly. "She…she can read minds. She can read Edward's mind. She can have this…connection with him that I can never have. And I think that's what makes me…dislike her the most."

"She doesn't though."

She sighed again. "I know. Like I said, I'm sure it sounds stupid. But it still…bothers me."

"No, it doesn't sound stupid. Sometimes, when I think about…I know," he sighed in frustration, shaking his head a few times. "She has a connection with Samuel. Even though I know she doesn't want it…I don't like it."

They both sat for a long time, staring at the ground, saying nothing.

"There's…there's something I need to tell you. I asked Carlisle to let me be the one to talk to you about it. Don't be mad at him, ok?"

"What? What is it?"

"Jake…Calli came out of her room yesterday," she said, rushing through the words.

Jacob just stared at her, open mouthed. "She…she came out?" he asked incredulously.

Bella just nodded.

He immediately jumped up. "Why didn't someone tell me?!" he roared. "I was there today, I…"

"I told you, I asked Carlisle to let me be the one to talk to you about it."

"Why didn't someone call me yesterday? Where is she?" he demanded angrily.

"Please, Jake, calm down. Just…let me tell you what happened. Please."

"Where is she?" he demanded again.

Bella sighed. "Back in her room. Please…just let me try and explain it to you, ok?"

He stared at her for a minute, then finally sat down and put his head in his hands. "What happened?"

"She knows you didn't kiss Leah," she said softly.

"You told her? She believed you?" he questioned, looking back up at her.

"I didn't have to tell her Jake…she knew the whole time."

"Wait…what? What are you talking about?"

Bella sighed again. "She…used that…as an excuse."

"An excuse?" he almost growled.

"The dream…the last one Calli had, with Samuel. He told her how you would be better off without her. That she can't give you any kind of life. That you have no future if you stay with her. And she believed it. She used Leah as an excuse…because she thinks she is doing what's right for you."

Jacob felt himself begin to shake. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, sitting up straight again. "That's what she wouldn't tell me," he finally mumbled, opening his eyes.

"I talked to her. I told her that she couldn't make the decision for you. That it was your choice whether you wanted to be with her or not. I told her about me and Edward, about how he left because he thought he was doing what was best for me, but that it ended up being a disaster. That it almost got both of us killed." She paused.

"And?"

"She kept saying that if she let you go, you would have a chance at a real future…that eventually, you could love someone else."

He closed his eyes.

"Jake," she choked out. "I'm so sorry…I thought I was doing what was best."

"You didn't do anything wrong Bella," he said grimly.

"I think I did."

He opened his eyes and just stared at her expectantly.

"I…I told her you imprinted," she whispered.

Jacob's eyes widened. "No," he breathed.

"I'm sorry. I thought it was best. I thought it would help her see!"

"Did you…did anyone…did they…" he couldn't finish the sentence.

"They told her," Bella said quietly.

"No, no, no…oh no," he moaned as he put his head in his hands. He sat like that for a few minutes, in silence, until he rose his head back up and looked angrily at Bella. "Didn't you realize where that would lead?"

"Were you just never going to tell her?"

"What was I supposed to say? It's my fault she was bitten! How am I supposed to tell her that?"

"I…I'm sorry Jake. I thought if she could see…if she would realize that you won't love someone else…that…something would change."

"What did she say?" he demanded.

"She said…that she was only your soul mate when she was alive…that now that she was…she said you don't belong with a vampire."

He growled, punching his fist into the driftwood bench. It made a large hole. He stood up and began pacing. "She's gonna hate me," he moaned. "She probably already does."

"Oh Jake. She doesn't hate you. She loves you…so much. That's why she's doing this. Because she loves you so much…she thinks this is the right thing. What she's doing may not be right…but she's doing it for all the right reasons."

"That was before she found out it's my fault she got attacked," he said miserably.

"She won't stop loving you. Trust me, I know."

He stared at her intently. "What do I do?" he pleaded.

She sighed. She went over and took his hand in hers. "You wait. Again."

* * *

"Anything?" he asked Carlisle desperately.

"Nothing."

He clenched his fists at his sides. "We don't even know if she's ok in there," he growled.

"I…have a feeling…she might not be," Carlisle said hesitantly.

"Why?"

"When she came down on Monday she mentioned that the pain had been getting really bad. That sometimes…she couldn't even really move."

Jacob felt his throat constrict. The thought of her up there, alone, in pain…it was just too much. "There has to be something…something we can do…something I can do. Please."

"I know. I want to do something. I wish there was something I could do. But until she comes out, there's not."

Jacob cried out in frustration. "I…I can't live without her," he practically whispered.

Carlisle sighed. "I don't think she can live without you either Jacob. She will come out. Eventually, in her own time. Just trust in that. Try to be as patient as you can. It will happen."

Jacob took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "I'd better get to school. I'll be back later."

He walked out to his car and slammed the door hard, driving off quickly. When he got to the school he parked and just sat there for a long time, his hands gripping the steering wheel.

Finally he got out and made his way angrily to his first class. He wasn't even paying attention to anyone else. When he got up to the building he felt his shoulder hit someone else. He looked in front of him and saw Chris, smiling his cocky smile.

"Watch where you're going," Jacob growled.

"What's wrong? Bad day?" Chris asked mockingly.

Jacob just glared at him. He began walking off toward his class.

"You know, I'm thinking, since it looks like Calli's done with you," he said laughingly. "Well, I guess it's my turn…when she gets back of course."

Jacob stopped abruptly. He turned around slowly and walked to Chris, standing just a few feet away, looking down at him. He felt his whole body begin to shake. He could feel the convulsions coming on, but he did nothing to stop them.

"Don't you even say her name," he hissed at Chris.

"What's wrong? Afraid of a little competition?" he sneered.

Jacob felt the shaking intensify. He knew he should try to start calming himself down. But he didn't. He felt the shaking become stronger.

He let out a low growl and stepped closer to Chris. Chris stood his ground, looking up at him. He was trying to appear tough, but Jacob could see he was starting to get scared.

Jacob knew he should leave, but a part of him didn't care. He was so angry; so hurt. He wanted, he needed, a release. He let out another low growl as he felt the shaking get even stronger.

He pushed the rational part of his brain back and let the instinct take over. He stared Chris down; his face was becoming more and more frightened. He gave him a menacing smile as the shaking rocked his whole body. He felt it; he knew what was coming. But he did nothing to stop it.


	43. Chapter 42 Misconceptions

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Just as Jacob felt the tremors taking over something tugged hard on his hand. He was pulled out of place and blinked a few times, almost as if in a daze. He shook his head back and forth.

When he began thinking again he was horrified at what had almost happened. He had been ready to phase, right here, in front of everyone. Immediately he felt calmer and took a few deep breaths.

He looked at Chris carefully before beginning to turn around to see what had stopped him.

"Hey…" Chris began.

"Shut up Chris, or I swear I'll let him beat the crap out of you."

Jacob finished turning quickly, his breath catching in his throat. He stared, open mouthed, at Calli.

She glared up at him and then back to Chris. "You really want to see how you'd fare in a fight with him?"

Chris just stared at her.

"I didn't think so. Keep your mouth shut," she said angrily as she tugged on Jacob's hand, pulling him toward the parking lot.

The bell rang and everyone began walking into the various buildings, shooting glances at him and Calli.

He felt like he was in shock. He didn't respond at all. He just stared at her back as she led him into the parking lot.

She stopped suddenly and whirled around to face him. She glared up at him and dropped his hand.

"Are you insane!" she practically shouted. "What are you gonna do? Phase right there in front of the whole school? You know, I'm thinking that _probably_ might raise some suspicion!"

He continued staring at her, saying nothing. He finally reached out, slowly, and touched her cheek. "You're here," he breathed.

Seeing her, touching her, realizing she was really here, was a tremendous release. His relief at finally seeing her, finally being near her, was unbelievable. All of his tension, his anxiety, was gone. He looked into her eyes; her bright, angry eyes.

They were pained. More pained then he had ever seen them. She looked; fragile. Like she could break at any moment.

She tried to hide it, but she did a terrible job. She looked tired somehow; almost sickly.

As soon as he touched her cheek she stepped back and dropped her eyes from his. He stood in place, frozen, before he dropped his hand back to his side.

She looked back up at him briefly. "I have to go to class," she said as she darted around him, heading for the school.

He stood there for just a moment before whirling around.

"Hey!" he said angrily as he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him.

She met his angry look with one of her own. "I'm already late. I have to go," she said, trying to pull her arm away.

"No!" he yelled loudly as he grasped it tighter. He looked down at her. "Nine days," he choked out. He cleared his throat and composed himself. "Nine days!" This time his voice was angry. "You've been up there for nine days, you wouldn't come out, you wouldn't talk to me, and now you think you're just going to walk away? No!"

"I should think it's obvious why I don't want to talk to you!" she spat angrily.

"Don't give me that! You already know I didn't kiss Leah!" he practically growled.

She ripped her arm out of his grasp and turned, walking towards the school. "I don't know that!" she yelled as she continued walking away.

"If you expect me to believe this bullshit, if you expect me to buy this, then you damn well better look me in the eye when you're saying it," he said, mimicking what she had once said to him.

She stopped walking immediately. She stayed frozen in place, not advancing toward the school, not turning to look at him.

"Don't you lie to me," he said in a low, angry voice.

"I'm not lying," she choked out, still facing away from him.

"Yes you are! Bella already told me!"

She began turning around slowly. She looked him in the eye, and the pain he saw was almost unbearable.

But her tortured expression quickly turned angry. "You want to talk about lies? Why don't you tell me about _imprinting _Jacob?"

He took an involuntary step back, all of the air leaving his body in one large breath.

"Were you just never planning on telling me that? You didn't think it was important?"

"No…I…I…" he stammered, unable to get it out.

"You what? You didn't want to tell me that you were forced to love me? That it wasn't even your own choice!"

"I," he began to say, before stopping suddenly, letting her words sink in. "Wait. What?"

"You didn't love me because you wanted to! You loved me because you were forced to! Because of some weird, werewolf thing!" She turned around to stomp off toward the school.

"Hey!" he shouted, closing the distance between them and spinning her around once again. "That is not how it is!"

"Oh really?" she spat at him. "So you chose, right? You wanted to be with me? Is that why you ran away?"

He immediately let go of her. "I…I ran…"

"I already know why you ran," she said, interrupting him. "I don't need you to explain it to me."

"I…I'm so sorry Calli," he said quietly, looking down at the ground.

"Sorry for what? Sorry that you were forced to be with someone you didn't even want? Sorry that you lied? That you had no choice but to be with me?" she shot at him angrily.

"What? No!" he exploded. "That is not what imprinting is! It means I was supposed to be with you all along! It means you're my…you're my soul mate. You are the only one I can love! Not because I'm forced to, but because I am supposed to!"

He saw the anger slowly leave her face. She just stood there, staring at him for a long time, before she responded. "Maybe…before I got attacked. It's not the same now," she said quietly, painfully.

"I'm so sorry Calli," he said pleadingly. "I never wanted…I never meant…I was just upset. I didn't think…I never wanted you to get attacked…to get hurt. I…I hate myself for it," he choked up and had to stop talking.

"What?" Calli asked, confused.

"I ran…and you got attacked. It's all my fault. I'm so sorry." He looked away from her, down at the ground

She just stood there staring at him, while he looked away, for a long time before she said anything. "You think that I blame you for that?" she asked quietly.

His eyes darted back up to hers. "What? Don't you?"

"It's not your fault I got attacked. I'm not mad at you for that Jacob."

He just looked at her incredulously for a minute before answering. "Of course it's my fault. I was supposed to…I should have gone to you. If I was there you never would have been bitten."

"You couldn't have known what would happen," she said softly. "It's not your fault. And I don't blame you." She looked him in the eye before turning around to walk away again.

"Wait!"

She slowly turned back to him. "You didn't even want to imprint Jacob," she said quietly. "At least…not on me. It's not even…"

"No!" he said firmly. "I was meant to be with you! That's what imprinting is! Maybe I didn't know it then, maybe I didn't accept it. But I do know now!"

He walked up to her. "I love you. You…are my entire life. You are what completes me. You're all I want. Imprinting was what brought me to you…it was what showed me I was supposed to be with you. But I fell in love with you. With everything about you."

He reached out and put his hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes, turning her face away. "I can't live without you. I won't," he said firmly as he lowered his face down to hers.

"Don't," she whispered in a pained voice. She stepped back from him and looked up into his face with a tortured expression. "I won't let you do this. I can't. Please Jacob."

"Then tell me you don't want to be with me," he said fiercely. "You look me in the eye and tell me that."

She stared at him intently. He saw her tortured expression become even more pained. He couldn't stand to see her that way. He felt his heart ache for her. "What he said…it's not true Calli," he said firmly.

She closed her eyes briefly when he said her name before opening them again. "Yes it is," she said, her voice full of agony. "You can't have any kind of life with me. Not the kind you should have."

"The only life I should have, the only life I want, is with you!"

She gave him a small, sad smile. "Maybe. Now. But what happens when you want other things? A real life? A family? A future? What happens when you get older and I'm still seventeen? Forever. Can you honestly tell me you haven't thought about that?"

"I don't care about any of that. All I care about is you."

"And I care about you. Way too much to let you do this. To let you make all these sacrifices."

"It's not a sacrifice!" he said angrily. "The only sacrifice is not being with you! And I know I can't make that one!"

"So then you tell me how it would work Jacob! You tell me how we can ever be together!"

"It's simple. I am not letting you go," he said fiercely.

"So we'll just stay together, I'll watch you ruin any chance at a normal life. I'll watch you grow old and you can just watch me stay exactly the damn same! Tell me how that will work!"

He just stared at her for a minute. "I don't have to grow old," he said simply.

He watched her eyes widen. She became furious.

"No!" she yelled, turning quickly and walking away.

"No what?" he said as he ran to her and grabbed her again.

She spun around to face him. "That is not an option!"

"Of course it is."

"No!" she screamed again. "I am not letting you do that! No!"

"Letting me do what? I already phase."

She opened her mouth angrily, but then shut it again quickly, blinking a few times, a look of confusion coming over her face. "What? What does phasing have to do with this?"

"As long as I keep phasing, I won't _get_ any older. As long as we keep phasing we don't age. If we stop, we start aging again."

She stared up at him, shaking her head back and forth a few times. "I…" she trailed off.

"What were you talking about?" he demanded. "What wasn't an option?"

She just looked down, saying nothing.

"Tell me Calli."

"In my dream," she practically whispered. "He said…the only way I could be with you…is if I killed you." She looked up at him with a pained expression.

"Calli," he said quietly, putting his hand to her cheek. She closed her eyes as soon as he touched her. "Calli, don't listen to anything he says, do you understand me? Nothing. It's all lies. He's saying those things to hurt you. They're all lies."

She opened her eyes. They still looked tortured, full of so much pain. He lowered his face slowly to hers, but she shook her head, turning her face away. "Please Jacob. I can't do this. Please," she pleaded in a whisper.

He stopped, his face just inches from hers. "If you don't want me, then prove it," he said quietly. "Push me away."

She stayed still for a long time before turning her eyes back to his. "You already know that's not it," she whispered, her face etched with the pain he knew she felt.

"Can you tell me you don't love me?"

She bit her bottom lip and went to turn her face away again, but he held it firmly in place.

"Can you?"

She shook her head. "But…"

"I don't give a damn about the rest," he said firmly and pressed his lips gently to hers.

Once his lips touched hers there was no resistance. She brought her hands up and placed them gently on his face. He reached out and pulled her closer to him, his arms looping tightly around her waist.

He felt like his blood was boiling. All the anxiety of the last nine days burst out of him, and the kiss was no longer gentle. His lips moved roughly, furiously, against hers.

Her hands moved from his face to wind around his neck and she stood on her tip toes, tightening her arms around him. He felt her shift her body to press it even closer to his and he groaned, pulling her as close as he could. He kissed her anxiously for a long time before he finally pulled his lips away from hers.

But she tightened her hold around his neck and tugged his face back down to hers, pushing her lips to his again. He responded immediately, tightening his arms around her waist and lifting her up.

Her hands moved to the sides of his neck, holding his face firmly in place. When she finally pulled away his breathing was labored. She buried her face in his neck, breathing hard against his skin. He trembled and held her tightly against him. They stayed like that for a long time, unmoving, neither of them saying anything.

He finally set her feet softly on the ground. She pulled away and looked up into his eyes. Hers were less pained, and he smiled at her, bringing one of his hands up to stroke her cheek. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"I missed you so much," she said quietly, her voice breaking.

"You can't everdo _anything_ like that again, do you understand me? I…didn't think I would make it, not seeing you for that long. I can't…never again."

She looked up at him, and he stared back at her intently.

"I'm serious Calli. This was the worst week and a half of my life. I am never going to be away from you like that again. Promise me Calli."

"I promise," she whispered.

"Never again," he said fiercely.

She shook her head, staring into his eyes.

He lowered his face to hers. "I love you more than anything," he whispered against her lips before kissing her again.

* * *

"You have to Calli!"

Calli sighed. "I already told you, I can't Jaqie."

"But Katie is suspended from the team!"

"You can still compete without her."

"It will mess up the whole routine. It was designed with her dancing in it! If we take her out we'll have to redo a bunch of stuff."

"Well then we'll redo it."

"This close to the competition? No way. You can take her place. Please Calli," Jaqie pleaded.

"I…can't do competitions."

"You're practically on the team already anyway! It's just in Seattle, not very far away. Please…just ask your uncle again. Please?"

Calli sighed again. "I'll ask him. But I already know what the answer will be."

"Just try really, really hard. Ok?"

"Yeah, I will," she mumbled.

They headed to the locker room to change and came back out to the floor with the rest of the girls.

Katie was sitting on the bleachers when she came out. She spotted Calli and stood up immediately, coming quickly toward her. Calli saw Jacob stand up when he saw Katie going toward her.

"Do you see what you did?" Katie spat at her. "Now I can't even compete! I'm the captain!"

"Co captain."

"Shut up Jaqie!"

"I didn't pick up your hand and slap myself Katie."

"You went to hit me first!"

"I didn't even touch you."

"Whatever! It's still your fault."

"You know what Katie, I'm not gonna stand here and argue with you. You want to be mad at me, fine. I could really care less. But don't interrupt the practice. If you can't compete, there's no reason for you to be here. So, unless you can sit over there quietly, just leave."

Katie glared at her for a minute before going and grabbing her backpack. She stormed huffily out of the gym. Calli looked up at Jacob and gave him a small smile, then went to start the practice.

Everything felt like it had happened so quickly. As soon as she had seen Jacob this morning she had felt this amazing wave of relief wash over her.

Until she had noticed what was going on. She knew he had only been seconds from phasing. She had run to him quickly, not even paying attention to her speed, hoping that no one else noticed it either.

She hadn't known that Bella talked to him. It shouldn't have surprised her. She knew how much Bella cared about him. She knew she just wanted him to be happy.

But it had changed the entire situation. She hadn't been able to use Leah as an excuse.

Talking about the imprinting with Jacob had been difficult. She didn't really understand it all that well. To her it sounded like one person being forced to be with another.

But she knew, without a doubt, that Jacob loved her. She could see it every time he looked at her. And she knew that she loved him. She didn't know if the unmistakable pull she felt to him was due to the imprinting, but she realized she really didn't care too much. So that argument hadn't worked well either.

So she had gone with the truth. She really did want Jacob to have a normal life. A happy life. But when he had talked to her this morning and told her he only wanted a life with her, she knew it was the truth. She had looked in his eyes and she knew he would not give up.

And she knew that, despite her good intentions, despite what she wanted for him, that she didn't want him to give up.

And now she knew she would never be away from him again. Bella had been right. It wasn't ideal. It wasn't easy. But it was meant to be.

Calli wrapped up the practice. She went to the locker room to change and came out, walking over to Jacob quickly. She felt like she had gone forever without seeing him during those nine days. She wanted to be near him as much as possible.

Jacob reached out and took her hand, smiling at her as they walked out of the gym. He walked her to her car.

"You looked pretty thoughtful out there today," he said as he leaned against the car, pulling her with him.

"Yeah, well I guess I had a lot to think about."

He looked at her carefully.

"Are you feeling ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Carlisle told me that you said you were in a lot of pain those first few days up there," he said softly.

"Oh…yeah. It's better now though."

"Well, I guess we're driving separately today," he sighed.

She looked up into his eyes. "Even ten minutes away from you makes me sad," she said, smiling.

He leaned down and kissed her softly. "I know what you mean. Come on, let's get out of here."

He opened her door for her and gave her a kiss on the cheek after she was seated. "I'll see you in a few minutes." He closed the door for her and she drove away.

When they got to the house Jacob came and took her hand. They walked in and found Carlisle and Esme in the living room. As soon as Esme saw them her face lit up. Carlisle smiled.

"Well, it's nice to see you two," Carlisle said.

"Together," Esme added.

Calli just smiled and shook her head.

"Was the note I gave you sufficient Calli?"

"Yeah, it was fine. Too bad it didn't get me out of all the work I missed," she muttered.

"And you're feeling alright today?"

"Yeah, I feel fine." Calli paused. "Well, I should probably go get started on my massive amount of homework."

She went to walk toward the stairs, but Jacob held her in place. She turned to look at him.

"Aren't you going to ask him?"

"What?"

"About the competition?"

"Ask me what?" Carlisle said.

"No, I don't need to ask. I'll just tell Jaqie he said no."

Jacob looked at Carlisle. "Katie got suspended from the dance team for the fight. Now she can't compete, so they asked Calli to take her place."

"A fight. That's a shame. I hope no one got hurt," Esme said.

Jacob looked at her carefully. "She got in a fight with Calli."

"What?" Esme exclaimed, looking at Carlisle. "Did you know about this?"

"I must've forgotten to mention it to you," Carlisle said thoughtfully.

"It wasn't a big deal," Calli said quickly. "Nothing really happened. And now, I am going to go do my homework."

She tried to walk away again, but once more Jacob held her in place. She looked up at him. "I already know I can't do it. Come on," she muttered.

"Hold on just a moment. Alice," Carlisle called out.

Alice was down the stairs in just a second. "Hey Calli!" she said brightly, bouncing over to her and giving her a hug.

"Alice, can you see what the weather will look like late next week in Seattle?"

"Hmmm," Alice said as she closed her eyes. She kept them closed for about a minute before opening them again. "Looks like lots of thunderstorms. Why?"

"Any sunshine?" he persisted.

"Nope, doesn't look like it."

Carlisle turned to Calli, smiling. "Well then, I don't see why not."

"Huh?"

"I don't see any problem with you performing in the competition. As long as the weather is permitting there should be nothing wrong with it."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"I have to be in Seattle overnight."

"Well, I don't see that as too much of a problem."

"Everyone there will recognize me."

"Your appearance doesn't seem to make anyone suspicious. You don't look quite as different as we do. Even if they do see you, they have no way of knowing we're not actually your family who has taken you in, right?"

"Well, no. Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, I think it will be fine."

"We'll be going, of course," Alice said.

"Of course," conceded Carlisle.

"Whoa, hold on a minute. All of you?"

"Of course," said Esme.

"I don't know if I like that idea."

"Well, that is just too bad," Alice said happily.

"But…"

"Hey, don't you have some homework to be getting to?" Jacob asked, grinning.

Calli sighed is frustration. "Fine," she said, smacking him on the arm and turning to walk upstairs.


	44. Chapter 43 Surprise

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series. _**

* * *

"Ok, so we're pretty much just going to take today to talk about the competition. You guys have been working like crazy, so I think we can take a day off."

Calli took a deep breath and stole a quick glance at Jacob, who smiled at her from his spot on the bleachers.

"Alright. So the good thing about open competitions is that anyone can participate without having to qualify. The bad part…is that anyone can participate without having to qualify. A regional or state competition only has participants from high schools, and only those in the qualified areas. But an open competition is all age groups, all school groups, any dance groups or studios who want to enter…basically a whole lot of people."

Calli paused, looking around at everyone. "They're brutal. We'll be performing in the medium ensemble classification. These ensembles…they're not only from all different schools and dance studios, but they're from lots of different states. Open competitions are so much different."

"Medium ensemble is probably the most popular classification. Dance studios with teams of fifty or sixty will break their teams up to make lots of different medium ensembles…meaning there will be a lot of competition."

She looked around at all of the girls; they were staring, wide eyed. She sighed heavily. "I'm not telling you guys all of this to scare you. I just want you to be ready. It's a lot different than a state or regional competition. It's also a lot more fun though. You're gonna see a whole lot of people, a whole lot of different dancing styles and types. I just don't want you guys to walk in there and feel totally overwhelmed."

"We'll do all three performances. They most likely won't all be at the same time though. We won't know the order until we get there Friday. It will go all day. It starts at seven thirty and ends at eleven…so it will be a long day. Then they'll do the awards on Saturday. The performances will be back to back to back…they'll only break a few times."

"Our routines absolutely have to stay in the time limit, which is four minutes for entrance, routine, and exit. If it goes over, even one second, we get docked. Now, the good thing about open competitions is that there's not much they'll dock you for. They'll only dock us if our time is too long, or not long enough, or if we don't have the right number of performers. Other than that, nothing. They'll judge on choreography, technique, execution, showmanship, and appearance, with lots of little subcategories in each of those main ones. They'll rate it superior, excellent, or satisfactory."

"I'm sure that all of this sounds…kind of scary. But the most important thing is to have fun. Even if we don't place, just remember, it's ok. You guys worked really hard, and that's all that matters."

She looked around at everyone one more time. "Ok, I think that's pretty much it. We're leaving really really early Friday. We'll practice tomorrow, but not Thursday…you guys should have a break between now and the competition. So…I'll see you tomorrow."

She grabbed her book bag and made her way to where Jacob stood.

"Well, they look thoroughly freaked out. Is it really going to be all that bad?"

"Worse. This is a lot different than what they've done before."

"Aren't you excited?"

Calli looked at him carefully. "Not really."

"Why not?" he demanded.

She sighed. "You'll see."

* * *

They pulled into a space that seemed miles away from the entrance and walked through the drizzle in silence. Jacob wrapped his arm tightly around Calli and she looked up at him, smiling.

"There they are." She pointed to the bus the girls were stepping off of. Carlisle and the others were there too, waiting for her and Jacob. They walked over and Calli waited for the girls to get situated.

"Ok…ready?" she asked them. They looked at her, nodding apprehensively. She and Jacob walked in front, hand in hand, with the girls following behind, and the Cullen's behind them.

"You're not even a little excited? You love dancing," Jacob probed.

She just shook her head from side to side, smiling slightly. "You'll see."

They reached the large doors to the gym and Jacob opened one. Calli took a deep breath and walked in.

The gym in the college was huge, and there were tons of people milling around. They walked through the crowd, and it only took a minute or so before Calli saw people turning and staring. Many of them pointed and whispered, drawing even more attention to them.

Calli looked up at Jacob. He looked down at her questioningly. "Remember when I said people will recognize me?" He just nodded. "Well…a lot of people will recognize me."

They got to the place they were supposed to check in at. Calli went and asked Jaqie to go take care of it and then walked with Jacob toward Carlisle and the rest.

"This is going to be really, really, really long. Are you sure you guys want to stay? Seriously, it's like, fifteen hours."

"We're sure," Alice said firmly, giving her a big smile.

Calli looked up at Jacob. "Hey, I'm not going anywhere," he said, squeezing her hand.

She sighed. "Ok, don't say I didn't warn you. I'll have to…"

"Calli?" a voice from behind her interrupted.

Jacob just stared behind Calli as her name was called. She closed her eyes momentarily before turning around.

The guy who called her name was approaching fast, his face full of surprise. Jacob pulled Calli close to his side.

The guy was about six feet tall, with dark hair and an olive complexion. He was muscular but lanky. His stride was smooth and graceful. When he got to Calli he just stared for a moment before giving her a small hug.

Jacob stiffened, never letting her go.

"Hey Adam," she said when he pulled away.

"Jeez, we thought you disappeared off the face of the earth! Where did you go? One day my dance partner just disappears, no goodbye, no nothing."

"I, uh…went to live with some family. It all kind of happened really quickly."

He finally looked at everyone standing behind her, and then up at Jacob. "Is this, uh…your family?"

"Well…this is my uncle," she turned and pointed to Carlisle, who smiled. "And this is the rest of his family," she motioned over everyone else. Then she looked up at Jacob. "And uh…this is Jacob."

He looked up at Jacob. Jacob just stared back, his expression hard. Calli squeezed his hand.

"I'm guessing Jacob isn't family," Adam said slowly.

"Uh…no."

Adam just smiled at her. "Are you performing today?"

"Yeah, for the high school I go to."

He sighed. "I really wish you were performing with the group. It's just not the same without you. The new girl I partner, she's…well…she's not you."

Calli gave him a small smile. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"Well, I guess I'll be seeing you later then. Which classification are you?"

"Medium ensemble."

"We're doing a few there too. I'll see you later Calli." He turned and walked toward a big group that was staring at her and talking amongst themselves.

"Who was that?" Carlisle asked.

Calli turned to face him. "I was in a community dance group that he's in."

"So he didn't go to school with you?"

"Oh no…Adam's in his twenties."

Calli looked up at Jacob's expression. It was still hard.

He finally looked down at her. "He was your…partner? I didn't know you had a partner."

Calli looked at him in confusion for a moment before a small smile came to her lips. "The community group did a lot of different kinds of dances, and in a lot of them the girls were paired with a guy."

"And you were paired with him?"

"Yep. Every time." Her smile got a little wider.

Jacob looked away. "Huh."

Calli looked back at the others. They were all looking back and forth between her and Jacob. Edward had a small smile.

"Yeah, I was in that group for a few years. Adam's been in it longer though, about five years," she said nonchalantly.

"Uh huh." He was looking over in Adam's direction.

"A lot of them have. Like that guy standing next to Adam. His name's John. He's been in the group for about seven years."

Jacob just kept staring in their direction.

"That's actually where they met. They've been together ever since."

"Uh…" Jacob began. "Wait…what?" His head jerked down to look at Calli.

She laughed, shaking her head. "John is Adam's boyfriend. That was one of the great things about dancing with Adam…I never had anything to worry about."

Jacob just stared at her, dumbfounded, while a few of the others behind them chuckled.

She laughed again. "I have to go back with the girls. But thanks…that was a lot of fun." She leaned up and kissed Jacob hard on the lips before she walked away, laughing the whole time.

"Nice, man," Emmett said, chuckling.

Jacob just scowled as they walked to the bleachers and managed to find seats. Bella sat in between Edward and Jacob, grasping Edward's hand tightly and staring off into space.

Jacob watched as the crowds on the floor began to disperse, many of them dancers heading in the direction Calli had gone. The bleachers filled up quickly.

Finally a voice came over the loudspeaker announcing that the competition would begin. The first group was announced, along with the style of dance they would be performing and what classification they were in.

This went on and on and on, with no breaks in between. Jacob saw the group Calli's friend Adam was in perform. He watched Adam and the girl he now partnered. There was a lot of touching involved in their dancing.

He almost growled inwardly when he thought of Calli dancing that way. Adam was a good dancer; better than all the other guys who danced in the group, and, as much as he hated to admit it, he could see why they had been partnered together.

He found himself zoning out. There were lots of really good dancers, amazing dancers really, but soon they all started to just bleed together.

"Forks High School, hip hop, medium ensemble," he heard announced.

He sat up immediately to watch the girls enter. The music began and they came from the side. As soon as he saw Calli he felt his jaw drop, and he just stared, open mouthed.

They had never dressed in what they would be wearing for the competition. They wore pants made of a satin type material. They were a deep purple with a yellow stripe down the side. The shirts were the same yellow color as the stripe, with a small jacket in the same deep purple color as the pants. The jackets were basically just sleeves and a back that only came down to their shoulder blades.

And the shirts came to just below the chest, exposing their entire stomach. Jacob just gawked. He had never seen Calli so; exposed. Her stomach was perfectly flat and toned.

He finally began paying attention to the actual dance, watching Calli carefully. This was an entirely different atmosphere than he had seen her perform in before, and her dancing showed it. She transformed, she looked like a whole other person, as if she were playing a part. She looked forward into the audience and at the judges, her face full of the emotion and excitement of the song. She danced with an almost attitude he had never seen before. There was only one word he could use to describe her right now.

Sexy. He felt his heart skipping a few beats and he swallowed hard, though never taking his eyes off of her. Her movements were crisp; they were perfect. The other girls were all very good, but even after months of practice Calli still overshadowed them. She stood out.

He finally looked around; all eyes were glued to the girls, and he was positive most of them were focused on Calli. He saw some people pointing and whispering.

He kept staring at her for a few moments before he finally tore his eyes away, looking at where the girls had entered from. He was sure they would be exiting there; he looked around the rest of the gymnasium to find a way to get to that area.

He heard the music stop, and loud cheering and clapping began. He heard Calli's name shouted a few times, along with some of the other girl's names as well.

He was still looking around when he heard a loud gasp from Alice.

"Who is that? Does she know him?" he heard Bella ask.

Jacob turned around and looked down at the floor. The girls were all exiting…all but Calli. She was frozen in place, staring over to the side. Jacob looked in the direction she was staring.

Right at Samuel. He was walking to her quickly; Calli just remained frozen in place. He jumped up, a loud growl ripping through him. Many in the audience were still cheering, and only a few around him turned to stare, puzzled.

"No Jacob." Carlisle grabbed his arm firmly.

Jacob looked over; Carlisle had come to his side. He tried to pull his arm out of the grasp, but Carlisle held on tightly.

"Let me go," he hissed fiercely, looking back down at Calli. Samuel had almost reached her; she still didn't move.

"There are hundreds of people in here. You cannot make a scene. He will not do anything to her," Carlisle said in a low voice.

Jacob tried to yank his arm out of his grasp again, but with less effort this time. He knew Carlisle was right. He kept watching as Samuel reached her. He felt his chest tighten and another low growl escaped. He felt the shaking begin and fought hard to control it.

The cheering was still going on around him, although it had died down considerably. No one else even seemed to notice that Calli stood there frozen.

Samuel placed his hand on her arm and leaned down and whispered something in her ear. Jacob saw her tense up and he balled his fists at his sides. Samuel brought his face in front of hers, which still held a look of shock, and smiled at her before leaning down and kissing her cheek lightly.

Jacob felt the convulsions rock his body and his vision became fuzzy; his head felt like it might explode.

"Jacob, calm down, now," he heard Carlisle order close to his ear. The cheering was almost obsolete now.

Jacob took a few deep breaths and shook out his arms, trying to get himself under control. He watched Samuel smile one more time at Calli before turning and walking away. Calli just stood there, staring.

Jaqie finally looked back and saw that she wasn't coming and doubled back. She pulled on Calli's arm, and Calli turned her head slowly to look at her. He saw Jaqie say something and Calli began walking away with her, in a daze.

He ripped his arm from Carlisle's grasp and made his way out to the aisle and up the stairs quickly. He burst through the doors and into a crowded lobby area. He walked around quickly, pushing his way past people, trying to find a way down to the level the girls were on. He had no idea how to get down there, and after walking around for a few minutes he growled in frustration.

"Jacob," he heard from behind him.

He turned to see Edward standing there.

"I need to find her now," Jacob said loudly, turning away and continuing to look for a way down.

"Jacob, wait," he heard Edward say as he rushed forward.

He finally found a set of stairs and launched himself down them, with Edward following behind. He came to a large, wide corridor that was completely empty and began walking in the direction he thought the girls must be in. The corridor kept twisting and turning and became wider, but he still found no one.

"Jacob," he heard from behind him. He turned around to see that Edward was turned too.

Calli was standing a ways down the corridor, looking at them with a wary expression. He stared for just a moment before beginning to run toward her. He had just reached where Edward was standing when he heard the voice from behind.

"Jacob, no!"

Jacob stopped in his tracks. He turned around slowly.

And there was Calli. He looked at her a few times, blinking quickly, before turning his head back in the other direction.

Calli stood there, staring at him with wide eyes. His head whipped back and forth between the two. They were dressed exactly the same, they looked exactly the same.

He saw Edward from the corner of his eye, looking back and forth, his expression amazed.

"Jacob, stay away from him," Calli said firmly. He looked at her, the second Calli he had seen, and turned around again to look at the first one who had appeared.

"It's me," she said, looking at him pleadingly. Her eyes darted to the other Calli.

Jacob looked back and forth once again.


	45. Chapter 44 Two Calli's

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Jacob kept looking back and forth between the two Calli's. He and Edward were halfway between the two.

Edward looked back and forth also, his brow furrowing.

"Which one," Jacob muttered.

"I can't hear either of them," Edward hissed in frustration.

He and Jacob were staring at the first Calli that had appeared when the second one darted past them like lightning to stand in between them and the first.

"Stay back," she hissed to the first Calli, who only continued to stare at her.

"Jacob," the first Calli croaked, turning her eyes from the other Calli to look at him.

He started forward toward them, but Edward grabbed his arm firmly.

"We don't know which one is her," he said in a low voice.

"Can't you read Samuel's mind?" Jacob hissed back.

"He must be blocking me, I can't hear anything."

The second Calli, the one who had rushed past them, now turned and looked in their direction. Jacob just stared, open mouthed.

Staring at them, next to each other like that, was uncanny. There was absolutely no difference in their appearance. Every hair in the same place, every feature identical.

"Jacob, it's me," the other Calli said, looking at him intently. He stared into her eyes.

"Jacob, no!" He looked at the first Calli. She looked at him intently also, and both looks were exactly the same. "Jacob, please, it's me," she persisted.

"There has to be a way to tell," he heard Edward mutter.

"Can you see a difference? Because I know Calli pretty damn well, and I can't," Jacob muttered back, staring at them the whole time.

Jacob saw the first Calli advance closer, but the second Calli was still in between her and Jacob and Edward. The second Calli turned and growled at her.

"That's gotta be her," Jacob said in a low tone.

The first Calli looked at second Calli menacingly, letting out a growl of her own.

Second Calli flew back, hitting the wall of the corridor hard.

"Calli!"

Edward continued to hold onto Jacob's arm firmly, preventing him from going to her.

He saw second Calli get up quickly. She stood there next to the wall, staring first Calli down. First Calli looked at her with the same glare.

"Isn't there…something you can ask her, something like that?" Edward suggested quietly.

"Right, ok," he mumbled. "Uh, what's my dad's name?" he spoke up.

"Billy," they both said simultaneously.

He and Edward looked at each other. He turned his eyes back to the Calli's, looking at them carefully, trying desperately to find a difference. But there was absolutely nothing. They were both…Calli. His Calli.

How could he not tell which one was really her? He looked at her every single day; he stared at her non stop. He looked at them, both in their dance outfits, both with the same hairstyle, the same makeup. Both of them made his heart skip a beat.

No. Only one did. Only one was really his Calli. And he needed to figure out which one.

"My sister's?"

"Rachel and Rebecca."

"Rebecca and Rachel," second Calli said at the same time.

"What's our chemistry teacher's name?"

"Mr. Barnes." Once again, in unison.

"Jacob, please," first Calli said firmly, looking at him with a pained expression. He wanted so desperately to go to her.

But second Calli stared at him also, and he had no idea which one to go to.

He looked back and forth between them quickly before looking briefly at Edward.

"There has to be something," he practically whispered. "Something more…intimate, perhaps?"

"I…I don't know," Jacob stammered in a whisper. "There's no difference. They both even know the same things! I have no clue which one is her."

"If you expect me to believe that bullshit you damn well better look me in the eye when you say it."

Jacob's head jerked violently in their direction. He stared. And that was it.

First Calli's face showed only a brief moment of confusion before becoming impassive.

Jacob rushed to second Calli and stood protectively in front of her, but she darted back in front of him.

"Jacob, are you sure…" Edward began, looking back and forth.

Jacob almost questioned himself briefly as he saw first Calli's face take on a look of shock, of incredulity. He looked from first Calli to second Calli's face, who only stared fiercely back at…herself.

But the question was answered as he turned his eyes back to first Calli…and saw Samuel standing there. He growled loudly, but Calli moved until her back was against Jacob's chest.

"I guess I underestimated you," Samuel said with a big smile. "I was quite sure I would be able to pull off Calli adequately enough."

Jacob growled again fiercely and Edward rushed over to them, standing next to Jacob. Calli still stood in front of him.

"And you," Samuel looked at Edward, who let out a low growl of his own. Samuel just smiled. "I had to keep you out of my head the entire time. So much going on all at once, but I was sure I could keep it up."

He turned his eyes back to Calli. "And Calli, you were so close! You had made the right decision, letting your little friend go," he sneered. "I am so disappointed. When will you fully understand that you belong to me?"

"I will rip you apart!" Jacob said furiously, moving forward, but Calli kept her back pressed firmly to him, and Edward grabbed his arm.

Samuel laughed. "When you're let off your leash, _dog_, we'll see where things take us."

Before they could blink he was gone.

Edward let go of his arm, and he heard Calli let out a huge breath. He spun her around quickly. Edward moved away from his side.

He put his hands on her cheeks, looking down at her intently, saying nothing.

She just stared back up at him.

"Are you ok?" he finally asked quietly.

She gave him a small smile. "I'm ok."

"I…I couldn't tell…"

She put her hand over his mouth and shook her head. She moved it and placed it on his cheek. "You couldn't know."

"I should have…"

"You knew when it mattered."

He just stared at her before leaning down and kissing her softly.

She pulled away suddenly. "I have to go. Our second performance will be soon."

"I am not letting you out of my sight," Jacob said firmly.

"I can't bring you back there Jacob."

"Well that's…"

"She'll be alright Jacob," Edward said quietly.

"No! If you're going somewhere I'm going with you," he said fiercely, looking into her eyes.

She stared back up at him. She finally sighed. "Let's go. Edward, just…tell everyone."

He nodded. She grabbed Jacob's hand and began pulling him in the direction she had first come from.

They walked quickly through the winding corridor until people began appearing. The corridor finally opened into a long, wide room jam packed with tons of people.

"Calli!" Jaqie shouted as soon as she spotted her. She ran over. "Calli, we…"

"I know, I'm going." She turned around to look at him. "I'll be right back."

She turned to walk away but he kept her hand firmly in his and pulled her back.

"No way," he said quietly.

She gave him an exasperated look. "You can't come with me into the changing room," she hissed.

He stared at her through narrowed eyes for a moment before finally releasing her hand. He watched her dart into one of the rooms that branched off from the large one they were in.

He saw Jaqie look at him questioningly. He just sighed.

"You know," she began, "you're really not…" She trailed off when she saw him begin to glare. "Uh, never mind," she said quickly and walked away.

Jacob paced back and forth, finally beginning to shed the anger he was feeling. Calli was safe, and she didn't seem to be scared. Although he had a feeling she was just too preoccupied, and that it would hit her later.

He hated that there was so much happening that he had so little control over. He just wanted to steal Calli away and hide her from the world. When he thought about Samuel coming close to her, touching her the way he had, he felt like he might lose it.

He stopped pacing immediately, frozen in place. Calli had just walked out of the room she had used to change and was talking animatedly to Jaqie, who looked nervous.

He looked at the two of them together and kicked himself for not being prepared. He hadn't even looked at what Jaqie was wearing, but now that Calli was wearing it…

He felt his heart begin to race, and his mouth felt dry as he stared at her. She was wearing a dark green pair of cargo pants that sat as low as they possibly could on her hips. Her black shirt was just as high as the last one had been, but this one tied around her neck and had no kind of sleeves at all. There was a black flower pinned in her hair, which was pulled back away from her face.

She glanced at him briefly and said something else to Jaqie, then began walking toward him. He just kept staring, unable to pull his eyes away.

She stopped in front of him and just looked up into his eyes. He said nothing, just kept staring. He finally looked around the room to see many other male sets of eyes on her. His eyes moved to her again.

"Are you alright?" she asked slowly.

He cleared his throat. "Uh…yeah."

"You…don't really look alright."

He took her hand and pulled her away from the crowd of people, a little ways down the corridor they had come from. He turned around quickly and just stared again.

"Uh…Jacob. What's going on?"

"You…cannot wear stuff like that anymore," he said, a little shakily.

"What?" She looked up at him in confusion.

"Your…clothes…" he trailed off, unable to finish.

A look of comprehension flooded her face and she smirked. "Oh…so you don't like these clothes either?" she asked innocently.

He scowled at her. "Funny."

"Jacob, this is just the stuff you wear for competition. I'm not going to cruise the streets in it."

"Have you seen yourself?"

"I don't think I look all that bad," she joked.

He just stared down at her, squirming a little uncomfortably. He wasn't used to seeing her dressed that way, and he wasn't really prepared for how it was making him feel.

She stared up at him. "I have to go, we're going to be up soon," she said softly. She dropped his hand and began walking away.

He looped his arm around her waist, not even paying attention to the fact that he would be touching bare skin. He felt almost an electric jolt go through him, and his heart began racing wildly.

He heard Calli take in a sharp breath. She immediately turned her eyes to his. He only stared momentarily before tugging her to his chest. She looked up at him and he could see that she was breathing quickly. He felt his own breathing quicken and his chest felt tight.

His other arm went around her waist and the electricity between them intensified. Her hands came up to rest lightly on his chest. He stared at her intensely. His hand slowly went up her back and he felt her shiver. It kept making its way up until it reached her hair.

He was already having trouble breathing when he smashed his lips against hers, using the hand on her head to push her lips harder to his. Her hands locked onto his shirt and pulled him closer. The arm looped around her waist tightened, and she pressed her body to his. His lips moved against hers desperately. He couldn't even think straight, all he thought of was her, these feelings.

One of her hands released his shirt and went around to his back, pulling him as close as was possible. His hand moved down from her hair and back to her waist. Her skin felt perfectly smooth. He heard her moan slightly and kissed her even harder. His head became even more jumbled. His whole body felt like it might explode.

Finally he pulled his lips away and turned his head, not daring to look at her. "Go now," he said huskily, "or I'm not letting you go at all."

He felt her begin to move, but then she hesitated. He kept his face turned away, knowing that if he looked at her she wasn't going anywhere.

She finally pulled away and he heard her walk off quickly. He stayed rooted in place, trying to get his breathing under control. After a few minutes of deep breaths he began walking slowly toward the area they had come from.

When he got to the crowded room again he saw Calli and the other girls positioned over to the side, where they would walk out. Calli kept looking forward, never turning to look over at him.

He heard the school announced and the girls filed out. When they were all gone he made his way to the open door so he could watch them. There were a few people standing outside of the door on the sidelines and he made his way there.

The music began and the girls started the routine. Calli, albeit a little distracted looking, was still absolutely unbelievable. The way she moved never ceased to amaze him. He could see those looking down at her now and knew they were just as amazed as he was.

All eyes were focused on them and there was total silence, except the music of course. It just blew his mind how she was able to move so perfectly, so flawlessly. Her whole body was thrown into every move and performed them fluidly. His heart beat erratically just watching her and he took a couple long, deep breaths.

The routine ended and the girls began walking off the floor. They filed past him through the door. Calli was the last in the line, and she just came and stood in front of him. He placed his hands gently on her waist and she trembled. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"You were amazing," he said softly as he opened his eyes to look down at her. She just gave him a small smile. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him.

He held her tightly, one of his hands going up to stroke her hair softly.

She pulled back slightly and looked up at him. "I'm gonna go change," she said quietly. "Our next performance is hours away…I'll have some time."

He just nodded as he released her. He followed her through the door and walked with her until she was close to the changing room door.

She looked back at him once more before making her way inside.


	46. Chapter 45 Fearful

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- Seriously, it makes me want to cry that I have had absolutely no time for my stories. Thanksgiving, Christmas, my girls getting brand new beds that they don't want to sleep in, the list of distractions goes on and on. Sorry! Especially to those I do editing for and have not been able to get back to lately- I promise I am going to get some story time in tomorrow, and editing will be the first thing I do! Meanwhile, I already have some chapters for this story written, and have finally gotten a few minutes to post one...so here it is! I hope you enjoy! Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it, and I love hearing what you guys think!**

* * *

"He's blocking you completely?"

"I can't see anything. I haven't seen anything since just after the competition."

Carlisle looked at her carefully.

"He's planning something," said Rosalie anxiously.

"So now none of us are seeing anything," Alice said resentfully. "I didn't see anything about what would happen at that competition."

"He's definitely very adept at blocking us," Edward added.

Carlisle sighed heavily. "Calli, you've seen more than anyone. What do you think he could be planning?"

Calli stared at him carefully before answering. "Nothing."

"Nothing?" Rosalie exclaimed incredulously.

"Calli?" Carlisle probed.

She sighed. "I don't think he's planning anything. I think he just doesn't want me to know something that he knows."

"But you can't know that for sure."

She looked at Rosalie briefly before turning back to Carlisle. "I guess I can't know for sure. But there are a few things I do know. I know he's afraid. I know he didn't want me to know he's afraid. And…" she paused.

"And what?"

"And I know what he's trying to keep from me."

"Wait…I'm not sure I follow," Carlisle began slowly. "If you already know, what is he trying to hide from you?"

"I know the question…not the answer."

Everyone looked at her expectantly; everyone but Jacob.

"The question is…who else didn't his powers work on. And he doesn't want me to know the answer."

"And you think it's important?" Edward asked.

"It's important to him. Enough that he's not bothering with torturing me, or contacting me at all. I even tried sleeping…nothing."

"Do you have any theories?"

She sat next to Jacob. "No," she sighed.

"Nothing at all?" Carlisle persisted.

"No…but I think it has something to do why he's afraid. Or worried. Whatever."

"But he's stronger than you. Why would he be afraid?" Rosalie asked.

Calli looked over at the wall uncomfortably. Jacob grabbed her hand and squeezed. "Because he's only stronger right now," she said quietly.

"But maybe not…in a few weeks," Alice mumbled.

"Do you think you're going to be stronger than him Calli?" Carlisle questioned.

She shook her head slightly. "I…I don't know. But he's worried I may at least be as strong as he is. And he's never seen that before."

"Does he think…" Rosalie trailed off.

"That I'm going to die?" Calli supplied softly.

She heard a low growl in Jacob's chest and he gripped her hand even tighter. "That will not happen," he almost hissed.

Carlisle sighed. "Does he?"

Jacob's head turned quickly in his direction.

Calli's eyes remained on the wall. "Yes," she said in barely more than a whisper. She cleared her throat. "Women died more than the men did…when it happened," she spoke up.

"But you're different," Esme said. Everyone turned to look at her. "Whatever he doesn't want you to know…it's probably something that makes you different than the rest. So…that might make this different for you."

"Maybe. But…" she trailed off.

The room was silent for awhile.

"What time were you born?" Carlisle asked suddenly.

"What time?" Calli repeated in confusion. "Eleven fourteen. Why?"

"In the morning or evening?"

"Eleven fourteen pm. Why?"

"William told me that the ascension occurs right at your eighteenth birthday. It begins the minute you turn eighteen. It won't start until late that night."

"Great, I get to look forward to it all day," she muttered bitterly.

"It's going to be alright," Carlisle said firmly.

"Yeah, just as long as I don't die or turn into some horrible monster of a person," she retorted sarcastically.

"That will not happen," Jacob said between clenched teeth.

Calli sighed and pulled her hand away, putting her head in her hands and taking a deep breath.

"Are you sure there's not something you're missing?" Bella spoke up quietly.

"Trust me, I've racked my brain over and over with all this stuff, and I just don't…" She stopped suddenly. Her head darted up and she jumped up off the couch.

"What is it?" Jacob asked frantically, jumping up after her.

But she merely began pacing the room. "Hang on." She paced back and forth a few times before speaking again. "The last dream I had with myself…when the other me was there, talking to me. It was when I was in Seattle, on my mom's couch."

"You never told me…" Carlisle began.

"Hang on, hang on," she interrupted. "What did she tell me? Think," she muttered to herself. "Oh! She told me then…that he was worried. That I was worrying him. But she told me she couldn't tell me why. She told me that others knew what my day was…that was you Carlisle." She kept pacing quickly back and forth, everyone staring intently. "Then…" she looked up at Bella suddenly.

"What?" Bella stared back.

"She told me I had tough times ahead. That I needed to make the right decisions. That my…my head would tell me one thing…while my heart would tell me another. She said if I didn't listen to the right one I might not make it." Her eyes moved quickly to Jacob. She stared at him for a minute before turning her eyes back to Bella. "She told me to listen to others," she went on quietly. "That they were here for a reason, and they would tell me things for a reason. She…she told me what you would tell me," she breathed.

"Hmmm…maybe if you sleep you can talk to her again. She told you things that would happen. Maybe there's more she can tell you," Carlisle said quickly.

"No," Calli said quietly. "She won't come back. I understand now."

"Understand what?"

"The end of the dream…she told me. I just didn't understand."

"What?" Jacob persisted, coming to stand in front of her. She looked up into his eyes for a long time before turning away.

"She told me she was leaving…that our time was coming to an end. I said that she was a part of me. And she said she was…but not the part that belonged to me."

"I don't think I quite understand." Carlisle stared at her intently.

"It's not just a connection. There's a part of me…that actually belongs to him. That's why he got so angry that she spoke to me in dreams. In the last one I asked if she was coming and he got mad. Because she's the part of me that's his. She knows everything. Because she's a part of him."

Everyone was silent. She looked back up and met Jacob's eyes. They were pained. She reached up and touched his cheek lightly.

He closed his eyes for just a moment. When he opened them again they were determined. "Nothing is going to happen to you," he said in a low voice.

"After the last time she spoke to me he came," Calli said, turning her eyes toward Carlisle again. "I…there has to be some way for me to get in his head."

"No way," Jacob said firmly. "If you're in his head he's in yours."

"But he has something I need." She looked up at him. "I don't have anything for him. All he can do is send me terrible thoughts. And trust me…they can't get any worse than what I've already seen."

Jacob winced slightly when she said that.

"How would you go about it?"

Jacob whirled around and glared at Carlisle. "You can't be serious! She's not doing this."

"Jacob." He turned back to face her. "Please. I have to do this. I have to at least try."

"I don't want him…"

"I know," she interrupted softly. "It can't get any worse…and I might actually get something out of it."

He stared at her intently. Finally he closed his eyes and sighed. "How?"

"I don't know. Maybe if I just try concentrating on him. If I try hard enough maybe I can break through."

She went to sit on the couch, pulling Jacob with her. She looked around at everyone in the room. "This might not work," she said warily. "It probably won't."

She took a deep breath. "Ok. I'm going to close my eyes and just try to focus on him. But I've never done this, so…" She looked over at Jacob. He put his hand on her back and gave her a grim smile.

"Here goes," she sighed. She closed her eyes. She pictured Samuel. She let his voice resonate through her mind. She imagined him standing right in front of her, talking to her.

She went through every image of him she had. She imagined herself having a conversation with him. Then she began telling her mind to open his. She repeated it over and over, letting the images run as she spoke. But nothing happened.

Until the image of him kissing her entered her mind. As soon as that image was brought up it was like a door opened. And she knew she was in.

_Was there something you wanted?_

"I thought you might not be able to resist."

"Resist what?" Jacob said in confusion.

"Jacob…I don't think she's speaking to us," Edward said quietly.

_Well you've never purposely tried to reach me. Are you finally ready to accept the inevitable?_

Calli didn't answer at first. She was trying to see if she could shuffle through his memories. She saw a few fragmented images, but nothing clear.

"The inevitable? And what's that?"

_Don't be foolish. Why waste both of our time?_

Calli kept looking through his mind. She saw images of him as a child, of people she knew must be from hundreds of years ago.

"And if I were to come to you?" Jacob's hand tensed on her back and he growled. "Do you really think I'm that stupid? You would kill me." Jacob growled louder.

_Hmmm…perhaps. But I would not kill your little friends._

He began putting images of their deaths in her mind. Calli shot forward, her head going into her hands. She cried out quietly.

"No more!" Jacob yelled. He reached for her.

"Jacob, she's in, and she may not get another chance. We must let her try," Carlisle said persuasively.

Then other images began entering her mind. Images from her own head…from her past.

"No!" she growled. Her head was filled with Samuel's laughter. She focused harder and kept shuffling through what she could. But none of it made sense to her. So she did the only thing she could think of doing. And she hoped beyond hope it would work.

_You and I both know coming to me is your only option._

She took a deep breath. "Who else didn't your powers work on?"

There was a loud, earsplitting growl, and then there was nothing.

"Calli?"

She slowly raised her head out of her hands.

"Anything?" Carlisle questioned anxiously. She looked from him to Jacob, and back, in a daze.

"It…doesn't make sense," she breathed quietly.


	47. Chapter 46 Answers

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- Thanks for reading and reviewing guys. I'm really excited...I've now written up to Calli's birthday! Yay! I hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

"What? What doesn't make sense?" Jacob asked hurriedly.

Calli sat there, in shock, unspeaking, unmoving. She didn't know what to make of what she had seen. It didn't make any sense to her at all.

"Calli!"

She finally focused on Carlisle. He was looking at her worriedly; expectantly. She glanced quickly at Jacob's worried face and then her eyes went back to Carlisle's.

"Did you see it?" Carlisle asked anxiously.

"I…I saw something. Yes…I saw it. But…" She trailed off, unable to complete a thought.

"Who? Who didn't his powers work on? You saw the person?" Jacob demanded next.

"I saw…the people," she said dazedly.

"People?"

"People. His powers…they didn't work on…his coven. They had no effect on his coven."

Carlisle just stared at her, his eyes widening slightly. "I…are you sure?" he finally managed to get out.

"I…was trying to sort through his thoughts, but none of them made much sense…to me at least. I knew if I asked him directly he would push me out, but I figured I might see it right before. And I wasn't getting anything anyway. So I just asked him. And right before he pushed me out I saw it…it was definitely the coven."

"All of them?"

"All of them."

"What does that mean?" Alice asked quietly.

"I have no idea. Carlisle…do you have any ideas?" Calli questioned.

Carlisle stood up and began pacing, appearing lost in thought. Jacob reached over and took Calli's hand in his, pulling her closer to him.

"I…can't be sure," Carlisle mused after a few minutes of nothing but pacing.

"Well, anything is better than nothing, which is about what I have," Calli answered.

"Well…William…he was shocked that there were any half breeds alive at all. He was absolutely positive that they had all died out."

"Ok," Calli said slowly.

"William…he was sure the coven had died out too." Carlisle stared at Calli meaningfully.

"Ok," she repeated.

"Well, if he was wrong about one…who's to say he wasn't wrong about the other."

"So you think that there are still…" She trailed off as Carlisle kept staring at her pointedly, finally picking up what he was getting at. "I…no," she said breathlessly.

"It is possible," Carlisle said quietly.

"Is anyone besides the two of them getting this? Because I gotta say…I'm totally lost," Emmett spoke up.

"I'm with you," Jacob said. "Would you guys like to explain?"

"Do you really think that's possible?" Edward directed at Carlisle.

"We didn't think what Calli is was possible, but it's true. Why not this also?"

"There's…no way…" Calli said, still sounding dazed.

"Hey! There are a bunch of us here who have no clue what you guys are going on about; so spill it," Alice commanded.

Carlisle sighed. "Like I said, there's no real way for me to be sure. But the only thing that seems to make sense to me…is that Calli…she must be a descendant of someone in the coven."

Alice's jaw dropped.

"What?!" Jacob said loudly.

"No…it's just not possible," Calli said, firmly this time, finally regaining her composure.

"Calli…you have no idea who your father is," Carlisle said quietly.

"I…I would have known, wouldn't I?"

"Maybe not. If there was no one there to tell you, it may just have gone unnoticed."

"But I would have had powers," Calli said emphatically.

"Yes, but no one told you. The coven all lived together. They were told to look for theirs. You were not."

"I…I don't believe it."

"Hold on," Emmett began. "So now you're telling us that Calli was a witch…who was turned into a half witch half vampire? No way."

"That's what you said about Calli in the beginning Emmett…obviously you were wrong," Edward said.

Emmett shook his head. "You know, I really didn't think this crap could get any weirder."

"We don't even know if it's really true," Rosalie said pointedly.

"Am I the only one…that this kind of makes perfect sense to?"

Everyone quickly looked at Bella.

"This makes sense to you?" Jacob asked skeptically.

"Well…yeah. Samuel is afraid of you. He thinks you might be as powerful, or even more powerful, than he is after your ascension. Wouldn't this explain why? I mean, this would kind of mean…that you're full witch, half vampire…right?"

"I think Bella may have a very good point," Carlisle said hurriedly. "If this is true, then there's probably a very good possibility you will be more powerful than he is. He was born with half his genes from a witch, and half from a vampire. You were born with half from a witch…if we're correct of course. Then when Samuel bit you, you were infected with what he had; half witch half vampire. It essentially makes the witch in you stronger than the witch in him. All of your powers come from that side of you. It brings all of this together…why he fears you…and why he doesn't want you to know."

"I…I just…" Calli trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

"Do you have any other way of explaining it?" Carlisle questioned her.

She just shook her head.

"And you are sure they were the only ones?"

She nodded again.

"Then…I think this may be the answer."

* * *

Calli smacked Jacob on the arm as they walked toward the school. He just grinned and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly.

"Hey," he began defensively," I could have said something way more inappropriate. I mean…those boots go all the way up to your knees." He eyed her legs carefully again. "Good thing you're wearing pants," he muttered.

"Oh really, and why's that?"

"I'd hate to have to pin you down right in the middle of school," he said suggestively. "Well…I guess I can't really say I would hate it."

"You're terrible," she laughed, shaking her head.

"I didn't wear the damn boots," he said.

"I happen to like these boots."

"Hey…I never said I didn't like them." He grinned wickedly, leaning down to put his lips close to her ear. "I'll probably like them more in private," he whispered.

She took a deep breath. "Knock it off," she said a little breathlessly, "or we're never gonna make it to class."

He laughed, pulling her closer to his side.

They were just about to enter the building for their first class when Chris stepped out in front of them. Calli felt Jacob tense next to her. Chris just stood there, looking like he wanted to say something.

"Hey," he finally said, directing himself toward Calli. He just pretended that Jacob wasn't even there.

"Hello," she replied suspiciously.

"I…uh…well…" he squirmed, looking pretty uncomfortable. "Well, I just…" He couldn't seem to get the words out.

Finally Calli began losing her patience. She opened her mind to him briefly to hear what he was thinking. When she did she snorted loudly, trying to cover it up with a cough.

"What?" Jacob and Chris both said at the same time, then began glaring at each other.

Calli made her face impassive, trying hard to restrain a grin. "Chris, I, uh…I think I know what you're going to say. And…well…I think you better just…keep it to yourself. If you thought he wanted to hurt you before…" she just shook her head, unable to hold her grin back any longer. She let out a quiet chuckle. Jacob just looked at her questioningly.

"Really? Are you sure?" Chris said dejectedly.

Calli once again made her face serious. "Trust me. We, uh…we have to go to class. I'll see you later Chris." She tugged on Jacob's hand, walking quickly through the door to the hall.

"What was that all about?" Jacob demanded.

When they were through the door and out of sight of Chris Calli began laughing hysterically.

"What is so funny?"

"He…I can't…can't believe," she managed to get out between laughs.

He just stared at her expectantly.

She began composing herself, letting out a few last laughs. She shook her head. "I can't believe he would even consider that."

"You want to share?"

"He uh…he was going to ask me…about prom." She grinned as she finished, shaking her head some more.

"He what?" Jacob practically shouted. "What the hell is his…"

"Relax," Calli interrupted, chuckling again. "He obviously has trouble letting go," she laughed.

"What an idiot," he muttered as Calli began pulling him toward the classroom again. "Did he seriously not realize you'd be going with me?"

Calli whirled around quickly. "What? We're not going to prom."

"Of course we are," he said with a grin.

"Uh, aren't you forgetting a little something?"

"Oh, don't worry, I'm getting my tux soon," he said dismissively.

She rolled her eyes. "Not exactly what I was talking about. The date maybe?"

"Of course I know the date."

"It's my birthday Jacob," she hissed. "I think I might be a little…busy."

"Not till late that night. We'll be back in plenty of time."

"You cannot be serious," she said, exasperated.

"I am serious. So you had better start looking for a dress. Doesn't it take girls like, what, a year or something to get one of those?"

"We are not…"

"Come on," he interrupted, pulling her along. "We're gonna be late for class."

"This isn't over," she said threateningly as they walked through the door.

* * *

"No way," Calli said as she opened the door.

"We're going," Jacob said as he followed her through, closing it behind him.

"Going where?" Alice asked. She, Bella, Edward, and Emmett all sat in the living room, looking at them questioningly. All except Edward, who had a small smile on his face.

Calli whirled around to face Jacob. "Don't you dare," she said menacingly.

He grinned and leaned down to give her a quick kiss. "I think Calli needs some help Alice."

"With what?"

"Jacob," Calli warned at the same time.

"She needs a dress for prom."

Alice squealed with delight. "Shopping!"

"I don't need a dress, because we're not going."

"Yes we are."

"Why wouldn't you go?" Alice frowned.

Calli sighed in frustration. "Hello, it's on my birthday! Am I in some alternate universe today?"

"We'll be back in plenty of time. She's going. So…go do your girly dress thing or whatever."

"This will be so much fun!" Alice said excitedly. "We can go today! There are some great dress shops in…"

Calli cried out in disgust and began walking quickly up the stairs. Alice followed, babbling a mile a minute.

"Man, I can't believe you unleashed Alice on her. That was harsh," Emmett said, grinning.

Edward chuckled. "Don't worry…she won't be mad at you for too long."

"Maybe I'll go with them," Bella said, standing. "I think they might need someone to keep the peace. Those two could probably really hurt each other." She began making her way up the stairs. "Oh, and Jake? I think it's safe to say you're in the dog house," she called over her shoulder.

Jacob sat down on the couch, shaking his head.

"How long have you been planning this?" Edward finally asked.

He looked up, staring at him for a minute before answering. "Awhile, I guess."

"Well, I think she's going to love it."

"Yeah, she sounds real excited about the prom," Emmett scoffed.

"Yeah…the prom," Edward said thoughtfully.


	48. Chapter 47 Shopping

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- Ok guys, so I need your help. As you can see, this is a very long story...and I still have a lot to go. We're coming to a very pivotal point, and I want to know if you guys would like it better if this story just continued on, or if I made it a sequel. It can be done either way, but I'd like to know what you guys would prefer. So, when all of you who read this chapter go to leave a review (hint, hint :) please let me know which you would prefer. Thanks, and enjoy!**

* * *

"Alright, let's get a few things straight. First of all, I'm not your little dress up doll. I'm not going to be trying on every dress you see. Second of all, I'm picking the dress."

"It has to be designer," Alice interjected.

"Hey, you're lucky I'm even going along with this. This is so stupid," Calli said huffily.

"It's your senior prom…it only happens once."

"Uh, no. I'm pretty sure it will happen many more times."

"Well, this is the first time…it's special. You have to go."

"They did pretty much the same thing to me," Bella sighed. "Except I didn't even know we were going until we were almost there…and I didn't even get to pick my own dress."

"Your dress looked great!" Alice pouted.

"Yeah, it did. Edward loved it. And I'm sure I would have been terrible at picking out my own."

"Well, I am picking out my own," Calli said pointedly. "And who cares if it's designer?"

"Ugh," Alice said disgustedly. "Please, we need to have some taste here."

"She won't let up…trust me," Bella said. "And we'll probably end up with more than just a dress."

"Hey, I'm not looking to do a big shopping spree here." She shook her head. "I'm gonna kill Jacob," she muttered under her breath."

"Ok, here's the deal. If we just get your prom stuff…not just a dress though, but jewelry and shoes and stuff…but I promise that we won't buy _anything_ else…will you stop being so grumpy?"

Calli just glared at her.

"If I were you I'd take her up on it. It's not often she foregoes buying a whole new wardrobe."

Calli sighed. "Fine, fine. But I am picking the dress. Let's just get this over with."

"Aren't you just a little excited?"

"More like terrified."

"He'll have you home in plenty of time," Alice said gently.

"That's…not exactly what I'm terrified about."

"What do you mean?"

Calli sighed again. "I've never been to a school dance…or anything like this at all."

"But you're a dancer," Bella said emphatically. "Dancing can't actually scare you."

"Not the dancing part. The…the date part. This is like…a date."

Alice snorted. "You've been with Jacob for months!"

"Yeah, but now I have to get all dressed up and show up at some dance with him. It's just…weird."

"He is your boyfriend," Alice said pointedly.

"Ugh," Calli said, rolling her eyes. "I hate that word."

"Why?"

"Because it just doesn't fit," Bella murmured.

Calli looked at her for a moment before responding. "Exactly," she said softly.

Bella smiled. "I know. I felt the same way about Edward."

"You guys over think this stuff way to much," Alice said in an exasperated tone. "Let's go into this shop. I love this one."

They walked in and each went in different directions, browsing through the various dresses.

"Ooh, Calli, come look at this one!" Alice shouted from a few aisles down.

Calli and Bella came and joined her. She was holding out a blood red gown to them, a big smile on her face.

"Uh, uh, no way," Calli muttered, backing away from it.

"Why not?" Alice demanded.

"It's slit right down the front!"

"It still covers you…it just…shows some skin."

"It shows a whole lot of skin. I'm not a streetwalker!"

"Streetwalker! This is a very classy dress. And I bet Jacob would love it."

"I might as well just go naked," Calli mumbled.

"Jake would probably like that better," Bella grinned.

"You two are impossible!"

"I don't see anything I like. Let's go to the next one."

Alice stomped out of the store, moving quickly toward the next one. Bella grinned at Calli behind her back.

They walked into the next store and browsed around for a bit, but nothing caught any of their attention. They moved on to the next store and Calli went one way while Alice and Bella went the opposite.

Calli looked around aimlessly, peering just momentarily at each dress. Then she stopped in place and just stared.

"We're done. I found it," she called out to Alice and Bella.

"You found it?" Alice said as she walked over toward her. She looked forward to where Calli was staring. "Oh Calli," she breathed, "it's…"

"Perfect," Bella finished.

Alice smiled. "It is absolutely perfect for you." She rushed forward and looked at the tag. "And designer! Ha!"

Calli just shook her head. She went to find the saleslady and they got the dress in her size. She tried it on quickly and they went and paid for it.

"Time for accessories," Alice said firmly as they walked out of the store.

They picked out shoes, jewelry, and hair accessories before getting in the car to go back home.

"You're going to look amazing," Bella said softly.

Calli sighed. "I'm still terrified."

"You'll enjoy yourself. Even if you try not to."

"I still can't believe he's dragging me to _prom_."

Bella laughed. "It'll be better than you think."

* * *

Calli walked upstairs with her armload of bags. She went into her room and found Jacob sprawled on her bed. As soon as she walked in he propped up on his elbow and grinned at her. "You got it!"

She scowled at him. "I'm not done being mad at you yet."

"Aww, you're not really mad at me," he teased, standing up.

"Yeah right," she muttered, walking over to the closet and placing her bags inside.

"Let me see." He began walking toward her.

"No way! You'll be lucky if I let you see it that night."

He sighed. "I guess I'll just have to be surprised."

"Uh huh." She shut the door to the closet and just glared at him.

"You're funny when you pretend to be mad."

"I am not pretending," she said angrily. "You should have seen some of the stuff she wanted me to wear. It was not decent!"

"Really?" he said emphatically, grinning. "So did you…get one of those?" He raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Ugh. You go away." She brushed past him and went to sit on the bed, her legs curled up under her, looking out the window. She folded her arms across her chest and kept facing away.

"I know you're not really mad," he said laughingly, coming up behind her. She didn't respond. "Ok," he began slowly, "so…" he leaned down close to her. "What can I do to make you feel better?" he whispered against the back of her neck.

She trembled and let out a jagged breath.

"There has to be something," he said softly as he sat down, wrapping his arms around her waist. He started kissing a trail along her neck and she sighed roughly. He kissed his way up to her ear. "Feel better?" he whispered.

"You are so not fair," she said breathlessly.

"I'll take that as a yes," he chuckled.

She turned her body slightly toward his and just stared at him for a minute before kissing him softly. She pulled away and sighed. "I can't really be mad at you very well I guess."

"Well, that works in my favor."

"Ha ha."

"We're going to have fun," he said softly.

"Well, I'll be with you, so…" she trailed off, giving him a small smile.

"You are so beautiful," he murmured, touching her face softly.

"Mmm," she sighed, closing her eyes. When she opened them again his face was only inches from hers and he was staring at her intently. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too." He pressed his lips hard against hers and her arms wound around his neck. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her fiercely.

When he finally pulled back he was out of breath. He pressed his forehead against hers and stared into her eyes.

"When you kiss me…" she trailed off and shook her head, finally breaking the silence.

"You're one to talk," he said huskily, pulling her back against his chest. She leaned into him and breathed deeply. They sat there like that for a long time, saying nothing. Jacob finally cleared his throat. "Calli…"

"Yeah?"

"I…I have to go tonight for awhile."

She turned her head to look at him. "Why?"

He cleared his throat again, looking uncomfortable. "Sam…wants us to start patrolling regularly. I have to take a shift tonight."

"Patrolling for…" she trailed off, pulling her body quickly away from his and turning her whole body to face him. "For him?" she shrieked

"It's just a precaution. Since it's…getting closer…well, he just wants to make sure."

"No Jacob," she said frantically, her eyes panicked. "You guys can't do this. Please…you have to tell him this is a bad idea!" she pleaded.

"Relax Calli. It's going to be fine," he said soothingly, grabbing her hand. "We're going in groups of three and four. I don't even think we'll see him. But we'd rather be safe."

"Please…please don't do this Jacob. It's too dangerous. I can't…you can't…"

"Shhh, it's going to be fine, I promise." He touched her cheek lightly. "Nothing will happen."

"If something happened to you…or any of them…"

"Nothing is going to happen," he interrupted her. "Trust me. We're going to be fine."

"What good would patrolling do? You can't even smell him! There's no way for you to track him!"

"We just want to make sure that he's not in the area. Which I don't think he'll be anyway. He's afraid of you Calli. I don't expect him to just show up."

"Then why do you guys have to do this?"

"We just do Calli. This is our job. And we have to do it." He put his hands on the sides of her face, staring intently into her panicked eyes. "It's going to be fine…I promise."

She swallowed hard. "When…when do you have to go?"

He looked over at her clock. "Now," he said softly.

"How long will you be gone?"

"About six hours or so."

"You'll hardly get any sleep! You have to be at school."

"I know. I'll be ok. I'll catch some sleep in class," he said lightly, smirking at her.

Her face remained hard, her eyes still fearful.

"I have to go," he said softly. "I love you."

"I love you."

He kissed her softly and stood up to leave. He got to the door and began turning the handle.

"Wait!" she cried and jumped up. He turned and saw her crossing the room quickly. When she got to him she stood on her tip toes and smashed her lips against his, kissing him furiously. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up, holding her tightly to him. She put her hands on the sides of his neck, pulling his face as close to hers as possible.

When she finally broke the kiss she kept her eyes closed. He held onto her tightly. "Please be careful," she choked out.

"I will," he said breathlessly. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

She just nodded, finally opening her eyes. He set her feet on the floor and leaned down once more to press his lips briefly to hers, then turned and left quickly.


	49. Chapter 48 No Going Back

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my wtory, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- Well, the general concencus has been to keep it one long story. So that is what I will do. Also, as a little side note...please leave a review after you read. I know a lot of people are reading, but I'm getting little feedback. So just leave me a short little one, tell me what you think. Thanks for the reviews, and thanks for reading, I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story!**

* * *

"You're scared."

Calli looked over at Emmett who had just sat down on the couch a few feet away from her. "Of course I am."

"I don't think you have to worry about Jacob. He's a pretty tough guy. He can handle himself."

Calli sighed. "Handling yourself, and handling yourself against Samuel are two very different things. I wish you guys would understand that."

"I don't see him getting hurt."

"I hope not."

"If you could…I mean, you know, if you could go back and change things…would you?"

She smiled at him. "Would you?"

"My situation was a lot different than yours."

"Yeah, but the reason our answers are the same isn't."

He just raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"You wouldn't change things, because of Rosalie. I wouldn't change things because of Jacob."

"But you might have still been able to be with him…he did imprint on you."

"But…if he hadn't heard me scream...well, he may never have come back. And I just would have left. He had no idea who I was or where I was from. He would have had no way to find me."

"So you wouldn't then."

"Sometimes, when I think about that…and I think about it a lot…it makes me feel selfish. It's not like I could change it. But when I think about if I could have…I still wouldn't want to. And then I think it would be best because I wouldn't be putting all these people in danger."

"You know, our lives have been pretty dangerous in the past. I'll grant you, this time maybe more than others…but we've always handled ourselves." He grinned. "You and Bella have probably been the most dangerous things in our lives. But…you're worth it."

Calli smiled. "Thanks," she said softly.

They were both silent for a few minutes. "So…tomorrow," he said quietly.

"Tomorrow," she echoed.

"I know you're scared about that."

"How could I not be? I've been thinking about this day a lot, but I've tried not to focus, or picture, I guess, it actually happening. But now…" she sighed. "I just keep picturing it over and over."

"Maybe tomorrow is your ascension. But it's your birthday…and your prom. Try to focus on that."

"How can I do that?"

He smiled. "Don't think about it. Just do it. Have a good time. You already know it's going to happen. So you don't have to dwell on it. Just have fun."

"Fun," she said dazedly.

"Fun. You know how to do that."

She laughed, shaking her head. "You're…pretty awesome Emmett."

"Yeah, I know," he said smugly.

"And so modest too."

"Modest…and you're speaking to Emmett. I fail to see how the two go together," Edward mocked as he walked into the room.

"You're one to talk, Mr. Perfect," Emmett grumbled.

"Maybe," Edward grinned, "but I am modest about it."

"You guys are funny," Calli said laughingly.

"Edward…funny…ha! I don't…"

_Calli,_ the voice in her head interrupted.

She and Edward both looked at each other, wide eyed, before they jumped up and shot toward the door.

"Carlisle!" Edward shouted as they darted outside.

When they got outside Samuel wasn't far away, standing just across the lawn. It was only a moment before everyone else joined them, standing behind her and Edward.

_Your human friend is very frightened._ He smirked at her.

Calli whirled around to see Bella standing next to Alice. "Edward, take Bella inside now!"

Edward turned quickly to see Bella and rushed to her, grabbing her up in his arms and darting inside.

"What are you doing here?"

Samuel grinned at her. "Tomorrow is your big day. I wanted to…wish you luck."

"Luck?" she scoffed.

_Don't be like that._

"You're not very good at pretending you're not scared of me," she spat at him.

His face turned hard. "You're going to die," he hissed.

"Then why are you here? If you're so sure I'm going to die then you have nothing to worry about."

_I'm trying to make you see the way it needs to be._

"The way it needs to be? With you, right? No thanks."

"You are so foolish…and selfish. You know it is best, yet you choose to put everyone in danger."

"Hey jackass, you're the one in danger," Emmett snarled. "Do you realize there are werewolves out there looking for you? How stupid do you have to be to come here?"

"As if they can stop me," Samuel growled, focusing on Emmett.

"No!" Calli shouted, focusing hard on him.

He growled in frustration. "I will not let you live!" he roared.

"If you could kill me you would have done it already!"

Just then there were several loud growls behind Calli. She turned quickly to see three of the wolves standing behind them. When she turned back toward Samuel he was gone.

_Happy Birthday Calli._

When she turned toward the wolves again one of them was missing. Just then Jacob came running out of the trees and rushed to her. When he reached her he pulled her to him.

"Are you ok?" he demanded.

"I'm fine."

"He was right here!" Jacob roared. He looked back at the other two wolves. "Just go," he said, quieter this time. "He won't come back."

They nodded ever so slightly and bounded away.

"What happened?" Jacob looked down at her.

"Nothing new," she muttered.

"What did he say?"

She sighed. "The same things he always says. Come to him, he's gonna kill me, blah blah blah."

"He's not going to hurt you Calli."

She looked him in the eye, giving him a grim smile. "No…not yet."

* * *

"You have to get ready Calli," Alice said, exasperated. "He can't be here while you're getting ready, it'll ruin it." 

Calli looked up at Jacob, who was smiling down at her. "It's ok," he said quietly.

"I don't want you to leave," she murmured.

"Come here." He pulled her up the stairs and into her room quickly, closing the door behind them. He pushed her up against it hard and kissed her furiously. She automatically responded, pushing herself up against him and grabbing at his back.

After a few minutes he pulled away from her. She groaned and he smiled, looking down at her. "I'll be back," he said quietly.

"But I don't want you to go."

"I promise it will be worth it." He looked at her imploringly.

"Ugh. You and your looks." She rolled her eyes, smiling at him.

"I'll be back."

She sighed. "I know."

He leaned down and kissed her again quickly. "Now go get ready."

She groaned. "I'm Alice's barbie for the day."

He grinned. "Come on."

They walked out of the room and down the stairs to an impatient Alice, who was tapping her foot and glaring at them.

Calli walked him to the door. She leaned up and kissed him.

"I'll see you soon." He opened the door and smiled at her one more time before closing it behind him.

"Rosalie!" Alice called out, walking over and looping her arm through Calli's. "Let's go…we've got a lot to do."

* * *

**A/N- Finally hit 500 reviews...yay!!! Keep them coming!**


	50. Chapter 49 Prom

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- The next couple chapters are long, and they may feel a little choppy, but it's just the way the writing flowed, and even going back over it, it felt right. So, I hope you enjoy! There is a link to Calli's dress on my bio if you'd like to see it.**

* * *

"Ugh, no more hairspray," Calli complained, waving the fumes out of her face.

"We have to make sure it holds," Alice said, spraying more.

"Trust me, it's not going anywhere. It feels like a helmet."

"Be careful," Rosalie warned, "your nails aren't dry yet."

Bella chuckled in the corner. Calli turned and glared at her.

"Hey, I've been through this already. It's actually kind of entertaining to watch it happen to someone else."

"Yeah, I bet," Calli mumbled.

"Would you quit moving your hands," Rosalie admonished.

Calli rolled her eyes. "We're almost finished, right?"

"You can't rush this!" Alice said, exasperated. "Now stop talking…I need to finish your makeup."

"Don't put a lot on me. I don't like wearing a lot of makeup."

"Would you hush!"

"They're not going to listen to you…don't bother," Bella said laughingly.

Calli sighed and held still, letting Alice apply her makeup.

"Ok, we're done."

Calli turned to look in the mirror.

"No!" Alice shouted. "You can't see until you're all ready! You have to go put your dress and everything on."

"Alice I am never letting you get me ready again. You are so pushy."

"Yeah, we'll see what you say when you've seen yourself."

Calli just rolled her eyes as she walked out of the bathroom to her room. Everything was laid out on her bed already. Once she reached her bed she whirled around. "Ok…out."

"Calli, we…" Alice began.

"No…out. I am getting dressed all by myself. Out out out!" she continued as she shooed them out of the room.

"Come out as soon as you're done!" Alice called from outside the closed door.

Calli pressed her back against it and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Never again," she muttered to herself as she walked over to the bed. She sighed and picked up the dress. She smiled and began dressing. She put the shoes on, and then finally the jewelry.

When she was done she sat on the edge of the bed, looking out the window. She was trying hard not to think about what would be happening later tonight. She was trying to take Emmett's advice and just enjoy the night. She was doing a pretty good job of holding the fear at bay.

But sometimes it crept up on her and she could feel her chest tightening. She was able to push it away pretty well; but she knew it was coming, and it was really starting to terrify her.

"Calli! Aren't you done yet?" Alice shouted impatiently, banging on the door.

Calli sighed, standing up and making her way slowly to the door. She opened it and poked just her head out.

"Come on already!"

She opened the door slowly and stood in front of the three of them, looking away.

"Wow," Alice breathed.

"You…look amazing," Bella said.

"Very beautiful." Rosalie smiled.

"Ok, ok, that's enough. Do I get to see how I look now?"

Alice grinned. "Come on." She grabbed her hand and tugged her along, pulling her into her room where there was a full length mirror. "Ok…here you go." She pulled her over a few more feet so she was standing in front of it.

Calli looked in the mirror for a moment before smiling. The dress really was perfect. It fit her perfectly and went well with her skin. The shoes and jewelry complimented it just right, and the hairstyle Alice and Rosalie had done went well with it. She was wearing more makeup then usual, but it actually looked nice.

"See…you like it don't you," Alice said smugly.

"Yeah." Calli grinned. "I like it."

"Jacob will love it," Bella added.

"He's here, you know."

Calli spun around quickly. "He's here already?" she croaked.

"Relax, you look great," Alice said encouragingly.

"This…day went by way too fast," she mumbled.

"It's going to be ok Calli," Alice said quietly and gave her a quick hug.

She gave her a small smile. "Thanks."

"Are you ready?"

"No," she sighed. "Let's go."

* * *

Jacob walked out of his room into the small living room. "Well?"

"You look great," Sam said, smiling.

"So handsome," Emily said in a choked voice. She blinked back tears and brushed at her eyes.

Jacob grinned and walked over to Billy, stopping just in front of him.

"Are you ready?" Billy asked quietly.

"Yeah."

"Ok then. We'll see you a little later."

Jacob nodded and took a deep breath. He smiled at them again and headed out the door, getting quickly into his car and pulling away.

He pulled up to the house and cut the engine. He sat in the car for a few minutes, taking deep breaths. He finally opened the door slowly and stepped out. He closed it behind him and made his way to the porch and up the stairs. He knocked on the door briefly, waiting for someone to answer this time.

The door opened to reveal Edward. He stood to the side and motioned Jacob in.

"She hasn't come down yet."

Jacob walked in, nodding.

Edward closed the door and went to stand by Carlisle.

"She should be down any minute," Carlisle said.

Jacob nodded again, saying nothing.

"Are you alright?"

He finally smiled. "Yeah, I am."

"It will be fine." Carlisle smiled back.

Alice began walking down the stairs. Everyone turned to look at her. Bella followed, and then Rosalie.

Then Calli. Jacob felt his jaw drop, and all the air left his body. He felt himself tremble a little, and he just stared at her, wide eyed.

There were no words to describe her. She was breathtaking, she was amazingly beautiful; but it was so much more than that. She looked absolutely flawless.

Her dress was strapless, and a deep green. The top was tight fitting, while the skirt had ruffles going all the way down. The skirt was slit almost all the way up her left leg. There were lines of silver glitter coming from the left side of the bodice that went all the way across. Her hair was pulled back smoothly from her face, twisting near the back, with lots of shiny silver barrettes She wore simple silver jewelry and shoes, and her nails were painted a very light gold. Her makeup was a little heavier than she normally wore, but it was perfect.

She got all the way down the stairs and stopped at the bottom, staring at him with wide eyes.

* * *

Alice, Bella, and Rosalie walked down the stairs ahead of her. She took a deep breath before beginning to follow them. She walked down slowly, and after a few steps Jacob came into view. Her breath caught in her throat as soon as she laid eyes on him.

He wore a classic black tuxedo, and on him it looked absolutely amazing. His sleek hair was pulled back as always. He held a single red rose in his hand, and he looked up at her with wide eyes.

She forced her legs to keep walking forward. She felt herself trembling slightly and took a deep breath. She finally reached the bottom of the stairs and just stood there, staring at him.

"You look beautiful Calli," Esme said.

"Thanks," Calli said dazedly, never taking her eyes off of Jacob.

"Why don't we leave these two alone," Carlisle said.

Calli and Jacob never took their eyes off each other as everyone filed out of the room. Finally about a minute after they had all left Jacob took a step toward her.

"Calli," he breathed, just a few feet in front of her.

"You…look amazing," she said softly.

"Me?" he choked out. "I…look…" he sighed in frustration and took a deep breath. "Look at you," he was finally able to say in a husky voice. He took a few more steps and stopped just in front of her. He reached out slowly and touched her bare shoulder.

She closed her eyes briefly and reached up to put her hand on top of his. When she opened her eyes again to look into his he reached out his other arm and wrapped it around her back, pulling her close to him.

"You look absolutely perfect," he murmured. "So beautiful."

"Thank you," she whispered.

He leaned down slowly and pressed his lips gently to hers. She reached up and touched his cheek lightly.

He pulled back and looked down at her, smiling. "I just want to stare at you forever."

"I could say the same. You look…so handsome. So…gorgeous."

He grinned. "Are you ready?"

She took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

"This is for you." He held out the rose.

She took it, and smiled up at him. "It's perfect."

"Come on." He took her hand and led her slowly out of the house and to the car. He opened the door for her and after she was seated he walked over and got in the driver's side. After he was seated he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek before beginning to drive.

"I…you look so great," Calli said softly.

He reached over and took her hand. "You look amazing. You're…you're just beautiful."

She grinned and looked away.

"So I have a confession."

She turned back slowly to look at him.

"We're only going to be stopping at the prom for a little bit. The prom in La Push is tonight too. They're going to have a bonfire at the beach, so I thought we would go there for a little while."

"A bonfire?" she said laughingly. "In this?" She motioned to her dress.

He grinned at her. "Yep."

She smiled. "Ok."

They pulled into the parking lot and he parked, then walked around and opened the door for her. He reached down and pulled her up out of her seat. When she was standing he bent down and kissed her hard on the lips.

When he pulled away she was smiling. "So handsome," she murmured.

"Let's go," he said and wrapped his arm around her waist. They made their way to the gym and he opened the door for her.

They walked in to the crowded gym and Jacob handed someone behind a table their tickets. They continued further in. There was crepe paper and balloons everywhere, and people stood around in groups, with just a few out on the dance floor for the fast song that was playing.

"Calli!" Jaqie rushed up to them quickly. "Wow…you guys look amazing!"

Calli smiled at her. "Thanks. You look beautiful too."

Just then a slow song started.

"If you don't mind, I think I'm going to steal her away," Jacob said playfully, wrapping his arm around Calli's waist again.

"Bye Jaqie," Calli laughed as he pulled her away.

"See you guys later."

Jacob led Calli over to the dance floor. She looked up at him and smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. He looped both arms tightly around her waist and pulled her close. She rested her head on his chest and sighed.

"You're so warm," she murmured.

He laughed. "Always."

"I wish we could stay like this forever. Well…maybe without all the people."

He laughed again. "I'll be here forever," he whispered in her ear.

She pulled away slightly to look up into his eyes.

"I love you," he said softly.

"I love you."

He leaned down and kissed her softly.

The next song began, another slow one, and they kept dancing, staring into each others eyes.

The song ended and he reached up and touched her cheek lightly. "Let's get out of here."

She grinned up at him. "Sounds good."

They walked back out to the car and got in. He began driving to the beach. Most of the trip passed in silence, with each of them staring at each other on and off. When they pulled up he leaned over and kissed her fiercely. When he pulled back she was breathing hard.

"Jacob," she whispered.

He got out of the car quickly and came around to her side. When he opened the door he crouched down so he was eye level with her. "We're just about right at the edge of the sand. You should take your shoes off. They're probably not great for walking around here."

"Good point." She reached down and began unstrapping her shoes. He took his own off and put them in the back seat. When she was done he picked her up out of the seat.

"What are you doing?" she squealed.

He carried her to the sand and set her down gently. "You…look so amazing," he murmured, looking her up and down.

She took a deep breath, shaking her head slightly. "So…how many people are going to be here?"

He smirked. "A few."

He took her hand and started pulling her along. When they began approaching the bonfire he heard her gasp.

"A few?" she croaked.

"Well…maybe more than a few."

"Are you…sure this is a good idea?"

"Positive. Come on."

They walked the rest of the way toward the fire. Jacob could feel Calli cowering, trying to hide behind him. He pulled her forward and looked down at her, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Jake!" Emily called out. She began walking toward them quickly.

"Hey Emily."

She stopped in front of them and stared at Calli for a minute. "You must be Calli."

She just nodded.

"It's so nice to meet you." She leaned in and gave her a quick hug. Jacob saw Calli relax a little and smile. "You're much more beautiful than Jacob even described."

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"Well come on." She grabbed Jacob's hand that wasn't holding Calli's and pulled them over.

People started congregating on them right away, all talking at the same time.

"Hold it!" Jacob said loudly. Everyone was quiet. Calli was pressed as close as she could to his side. "I'm going to make this easy. Everyone, this is Calli."

People started muttering hi and whispering to themselves.

"Hey Calli."

She smiled. "Hey Quil."

"You look really nice."

"Thanks."

"And Jake here looks almost presentable," he teased.

Jacob punched him hard in the arm.

"Ok, ok, I'll quit," he said with a big grin.

Someone close by cleared their throat and Jacob looked over to see Sue. "Calli…this is Sue. She's a really close family friend.

"Hello," Calli said quietly.

"It's nice to meet you dear."

"You too."

Jacob pulled Calli over to where Billy was. "I'll be right back," he whispered in her ear. She looked at him with wide eyes but he just smiled.

"Hello Calli," Billy said.

"Hey Calli," Sam said next to him.

"Hi."

"You look very beautiful." Billy stared at her intently.

"Thank you."

Someone behind her cleared their throat and Sam looked back with wide eyes. Calli turned around slowly; and came face to face with Paul and Leah. She gasped slightly and cringed back.

"It's…it's ok," Paul said softly. "Well…no, actually, it's not ok. I…well, we…we both owe you a really big apology."

Calli just stared at him.

"We were both…really terrible to you. Me especially. And we both wanted to say we were sorry."

"Yeah…sorry," Leah said quietly.

Calli looked at them warily for a long time before giving them a small smile. "It's alright. I can…pretty much understand."

Paul gave her a small smile. "Have fun," he said as he turned quickly to walk away.

"What was that?" Jacob demanded, walking up quickly.

Calli turned around and smiled at him. "It's ok."

"They were apologizing," Sam added.

"Really?" Jacob said skeptically, looking at Sam meaningfully.

"Hey, I had nothing to do with it."

"Uh huh." He looked down at Calli. "Come on…let's go take a walk." He held out his hand to her and she took it.

"So where are we going?" she asked as they walked.

"We're just…walking."


	51. Chapter 50 Happy Birthday Calli

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- This was a difficult chapter to write. I wanted to capture it well, and I was afraid that I wouldn't. But, I'm hoping that it will come across the way I intend. This is the first chapter I cried while writing. PLEASE leave a review and let me know what you think, I love hearing from you guys. Enjoy!**

* * *

"It's beautiful out tonight," Jacob said quietly as they walked hand in hand.

"Yeah, it is."

"And you're beautiful." He grinned at her.

"And you look very…mmm…sexy right now."

He laughed hard. "Really?" He had taken off his bowtie and jacket and undone the first few buttons of his tuxedo shirt.

"Really. This is a good look for you." She smiled, looking away from him towards the water.

"I'll have to remember that," he said teasingly.

"Tonight…was really perfect Jacob," she said softly, looking up at him.

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"What could have made it better?"

She smiled. "Nothing. It's just been perfect."

"I want it to be perfect," he murmured thoughtfully.

"It was."

"It's not over yet you know."

"Oh…so you still have big plans, do you?" she laughed.

He stopped walking and turned toward her. He leaned down slowly and kissed her lightly before straightening up again. "You know how much I love you, right?"

"I do," she almost whispered.

"I don't ever want you to doubt how much I love you."

"I know."

"We've doubted before, I think. I don't want that to happen ever again."

She just stared at him.

"And I don't want you to ever think we shouldn't be together. You and me…it's just how it is…forever. You know that, right?"

She looked at him questioningly for a minute before answering. "I never questioned that you love me Jacob. I just…was…worried. For you…that you wouldn't have the kind of life you should."

He touched her cheek softly. "The only life I should have, the only life I want, is with you."

"I know that now," she said softly. "Maybe it's not perfect…or ideal…but it's meant to be." She smiled up at him.

"It is meant to be." He brought his other hand up and placed both hands firmly on the sides of her face. "You are my life. You…are my whole reason for everything. You're the first thing I think about when I wake up, the last thing I think about before I sleep. You are what I dream of. You're everything I ever dreamed of. And I am never, ever letting you go." She smiled at him again, and he dropped his hands down to his sides and took a deep breath. "I love you," he whispered fiercely. "I can't ever imagine my life without you. There is no life without you."

"I love you so much," she said in a choked voice.

He put his hands in his pockets and took another deep breath, looking over her head at the water for a moment. He looked back into her eyes and stared for a minute.

Then he dropped down to one knee. He pulled a black box out of his pocket and opened it slowly. "Then marry me."

She gasped loudly and her eyes widened. "I…what…are you…" she stammered.

"Marry me. I'm going to be here forever anyway…we're going to be together forever. I just want you to do it with my ring on your finger and my last name."

Her mouth was slightly open and she just kept staring at him.

"I know you…"

"Yes," she interrupted.

"Yes?"

"Yes."

He stood up quickly and pulled her to him, kissing her anxiously. She wound her arms around his neck and held to him tightly.

"Calli," he murmured when he finally pulled his lips away, just inches from hers

"Jacob," she whispered.

He straightened up and looked down at the box in his hand. He slowly pulled the ring out and took her left hand in his, placing it on her finger.

She looked down at the thin gold band with the small, solitary diamond in the middle. "It's perfect," she breathed.

"It was my mother's. My dad wanted me to give it to you," he said, smiling. He leaned down and placed his lips next to her ear. "Happy Birthday Calli," he whispered.

"You…are amazing," she sighed. "This is amazing. I can't…I never thought…"

He kissed her quickly, interrupting her stammering, before straightening back up.

"So…now you're my fiancé," she said, grinning.

"Yep." He grinned back.

"Well…I think that's a little more appropriate for us than boyfriend."

"No…husband will be more appropriate," he said softly.

"Husband," she murmured thoughtfully.

"You're last name will be Black," he said with a big smile on his face.

"Ha! At least it will be shorter."

"You're happy, right?" he asked her carefully.

She leaned up and kissed him softly. "I'm…beyond happy," she almost whispered. She reached up and touched his cheek lightly, leaving her hand there for a moment. "Oh, but one thing…we are not telling Alice. If she plans anything for me again we're gonna come to blows, I swear."

Jacob laughed hard. "Come on…we'll have to go make an appearance before we leave."

She eyed him carefully. "Did they all know about this?"

He smirked. "Pretty much. Come on."

He pulled her along the beach back towards the bonfire. When they got close Emily and Sam rushed up to them.

"Congratulations," Emily said with tears in her eyes, hugging both of them.

"We're happy for you," Sam added, smacking Jacob on the back.

Lots of people came up to them one by one and said congratulations. Finally they walked over to Billy, who smiled up at them. "Congratulations…both of you."

"Thanks," they both said at the same time.

He looked at Calli's hand. "It's a perfect fit…in many ways."

Jacob leaned down and gave him a hug. Then he cleared his throat. "We…we need to go." He looked at Calli carefully, who just gave him a small smile.

"I know." He stared at Calli for a long time before speaking again. "I'll see you soon."

"Bye Billy," she said quietly.

They walked slowly toward the car, saying nothing. When they got to the end of the sand Jacob scooped her up in his arms again. She laughed as he carried her to the car. He pressed his lips firmly to hers before setting her gently in her seat and closing the door. He grabbed his shoes from the backseat and put them back on. When he got in she was strapping on her shoes. She smiled up at him and finished, then sat up, reaching over and grabbing his hand.

He kissed the top of her hand and grinned at her, driving quickly toward the house. When he pulled into the drive Calli looked up apprehensively and swallowed hard. He got out of the car and came around to her side. He opened the door and pulled her up to him, grasping her tightly.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear.

"I love you," she said quietly.

"Come on." He wrapped his arm around her waist and walked to the house, opening the door for her. Everyone was waiting for them in the living room.

"Let me see!" Alice squealed as she bounded toward them and grabbed her left hand.

Calli looked up at Jacob quickly. "Them too?"

"Yep," he grinned. "Guess keeping it from Alice is out the window," he whispered in her ear.

"Keeping it from me!" Alice exclaimed dejectedly.

Calli just groaned.

Everyone came and congratulated them individually.

"Congratulations Calli," Carlisle said as he hugged her tightly.

"Thanks," she said softly.

"You're my daughter…I love you," he whispered in her ear, then pulled away, smiling down at her.

"I love you too," she whispered, returning the smile.

"I'm so happy for you," she heard Bella say quietly to Jacob.

"Thanks."

Bella moved to her and stared for a long time before hugging her tightly. Calli returned the hug. "He'll make you happy," Bella whispered to her before pulling away.

"I know." She gave her a small smile. "Thank you…for everything."

"It was my pleasure."

Edward gave her a small hug. Next was Emmett.

"Did you?" he whispered to her as he gave her a big hug.

She grinned at him. "Yeah."

"That's my girl!"

She laughed, shaking her head.

Finally everyone was done. They all stood around, looking at her and Jacob.

"I…need to go change," she said quietly, breaking the silence.

Everyone nodded solemnly.

"I'm going with you," Jacob murmured next to her ear and began pulling her toward the staircase. She gripped his hand tightly as they made their way to her room. He opened the door and followed her in, closing it quietly.

"Come here." He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her close to him. She fell into his chest and he could feel her shaking slightly. "It's ok," he whispered as he ran his hands softly over her shoulders.

"I'm scared," she whispered.

"I know," he murmured. "It's going to be alright." He pulled back and looked down at her. "I promise it will be alright."

"How long?"

"About an hour."

She closed her eyes and swallowed hard.

"I need to change," she said again.

"Turn around," he said softly.

She stared up at him for a minute before turning around slowly. He ran his hands softly across her back and felt her shudder. He leaned down and trailed kisses along her shoulders. He heard her sigh. Finally he reached up and slowly unzipped her dress. He ran his fingers up and down her back a few times. She turned slowly to look at him.

"I'll turn around so you can change," he said huskily, beginning to turn and walk away.

She grabbed him and leaned up quickly to press her lips to his. His arm wound around her back and held her tightly. When she finally pulled away he just sighed loudly, then turned and walked to the end of the room.

He heard her moving around and took a deep breath, trying hard to slow his heartbeat. He swallowed hard a few times, trying to loosen the tightening he felt in his chest.

"You can turn back around," she said softly.

He turned around and saw her dressed in a gray pair of sweatpants and a black t shirt.

"I'm just gonna go wash my face real quick." She moved around him and opened the door.

He paced anxiously while she was gone, trying to calm himself down. He felt like he might explode. But he knew he needed to stay calm; for her. He needed to reassure her right now. Forget the fact that he couldn't reassure himself; she couldn't know that.

She came back in the room and shut the door quietly, pressing herself up against it and staring at him.

"Come here." He held out his hand and she walked over and took it. He walked to the edge of the bed and sat down, pulling her into his lap.

"So warm," she murmured into his chest.

"Always." He reached up and pushed her chin up so she was looking at him. He leaned his head down and pressed his lips to hers. He kissed her softly at first, but soon it became more urgent.

He laid back, pulling her with him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body up against his. She put her hands around his neck and grasped him tightly.

After a long time he finally pulled away, looking down at her. She kept her eyes closed for a moment before opening them to look into his. "I want to spend every night like this," she murmured.

"We will. I promise." He pressed his lips to hers again and kissed her fiercely. When she finally pulled away and looked at him her eyes were fearful. "Time to go," he whispered.

She just nodded.

He stood up and pulled her with him, holding her tightly to his chest for a few minutes before releasing her and grabbing her hand. They made their way slowly downstairs. Everyone was there on the couch, waiting for them.

"We have about twenty minutes," Carlisle said softly.

Calli just nodded. She gripped Jacob's hand even tighter. "Let's just go outside now," she said quietly, her voice anxious.

"Alright."

They all made their way out the front door, Calli and Jacob in the back. When they got out the door and began walking down the steps Calli stifled a gasp.

Standing in the front yard was the entire pack, looking at them all expectantly. Jacob released her hand, looking down at her and smiling, and walked over to Sam, speaking to him quietly. After a minute or so he walked back over to them. "They're all going to go phase. They'll patrol the area…just to make sure."

Everyone nodded, saying nothing. Calli walked away from Jacob further out onto the lawn and began pacing anxiously.

Jacob finally walked over and pulled her to his chest tightly. "Hey," he said as soothingly as he could.

She pulled away and looked up into his eyes. Her eyes were more panicked than he had ever seen them. "I can't do this Jacob. I don't want to do this…I don't want to do this…" Her voice sounded terrified.

"Shhh, it's ok, it's ok." He pulled her to his chest again and stroked her hair, rubbing his other hand up and down her back.

"Jacob, I can't," she cried into his chest. "I…what if…I can't…"

"It's going to be fine. It's going to be fine."

"Calli," Carlisle spoke up from behind her. Jacob felt her take a deep breath before she turned to look at him. "Do you know what's going to happen?"

She nodded.

"Do you know how long?"

"It…it depends…it was different with everyone."

He closed the distance between them and put his hands firmly on her shoulders. "You're going to be fine," he said fiercely. "I know you are. We all love you. We'll all be here."

She nodded weakly.

Alice rushed forward, giving her a tight hug. Bella was next, hugging her tightly. She went and hugged Jacob next. Emmett came up and gave Calli a tight squeeze. "You'll be ok…we still gotta kick this guys ass."

She laughed shakily.

Esme came and hugged her. "I love you," she whispered.

"Me too," Calli said softly.

"Five minutes," Carlisle said grimly.

Jacob grabbed her and spun her around, pulling her tightly to his chest.

"I can't Jacob…I can't. I don't want to." Her voice was full of agony and he felt a tear fall down his cheek.

He pulled back slightly and looked down at her. "You listen to me." He tried to make his voice authoritative, but it came out shaky. "You are the strongest person I know. I know you're going to get through this." He leaned down and put his lips next to her ear. "I'll pull you back," he whispered.

She gripped his shirt tightly. "I don't want to…"

"I'll pull you back. I promise," he whispered fiercely.

He felt her begin to breathe rapidly against his chest. She held to him tightly before finally loosening her grip. "Promise me something," she said warily.

"Anything."

"I've seen this Jacob…I've seen what happens. No matter…no matter what you see, no matter what you hear…you can't come near me. Not till it's over. Promise me."

"No way, I have to be…"

"You have to promise me Jacob. I've seen it. You have to trust me…you have to promise."

He looked down at her, a few more tears falling. "I promise," he said in a choked whisper.

Her breathing quickened even more and she let out a small cry.

"Calli…"

"Jacob, I love you," she said hurriedly, her voice cracking. She gripped his shirt tightly for a second, before crying out again and loosening her hold. "Now get away from me!" she choked out.

He looked down at her for just a second before leaning down and smashing his lips against hers. "I love you," he whispered fiercely before he began stepping back.

She pushed him away hard and cried out before turning away. She stumbled slightly further down the lawn and began gripping her head tightly. Jacob kept stepping back, closer to everyone. Bella came forward and took his hand.

The tears fell freely as Calli let out her first scream.


	52. Chapter 51 Ascension

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- This chapter was difficult to write. I wanted to make sure I got it right, and I hope I did. It went through another edit tonight, to the musical stylings of The Way I Are by Timbaland. Has absolutely nothing to do with the chapter, but I love the song. So, here you are. Enjoy!**

* * *

Calli's screams echoed off the trees, growing louder and louder. Jacob pulled his hand out of Bella's, balling them into fists at his sides and crying out. He watched her begin to pace back and forth very quickly, gripping her head tighter and tighter.

He took a few steps toward her and felt someone grab his arm.

"You promised," he heard Edward murmur from his side in a pained voice.

Suddenly more agony filled her voice than he had ever heard in his life. She fell to her knees and her screams became earsplitting.

"Calli," he choked out, knowing she couldn't hear him.

He saw a rustling in the trees and looked in that direction. Sam came quickly to his side and grasped his shoulder firmly.

"She's strong Jake. Just remember that," Sam said quietly.

He closed his eyes as a few more tears escaped.

"Jacob!" she screamed from her spot down the lawn, on her knees, her head still gripped in her hands.

His eyes flew open and he automatically began walking toward her. Sam gripped one arm while Edward gripped another. He tried frantically to pull his arms from their grasp.

"Emmett!" he heard Edward say loudly. Emmett rushed forward and began helping them restrain him. He struggled to no avail; he knew he couldn't pull himself free.

Calli began coughing violently, as if she were choking. She doubled over on the ground, varying between coughing and screaming. Her hands stopped gripping her head and moved down to her stomach, cradling it tightly.

"How long can this go on?!" Jacob screamed, looking back at Carlisle. But his pained eyes were focused on Calli.

Calli rolled onto her side and kept coughing violently. For a few minutes there were no screams, only loud hacking, and it seemed that she was in less pain. Jacob took deep breaths, forcing himself to keep control. He knew he couldn't phase right now.

She was on her side facing away from them. She rolled to her other side slowly, her eyes squeezed shut. She stayed that way for another few minutes until the hacking finally stopped. She lay there unmoving, not making a sound, for a minute.

Jacob took a slow, hesitant step in her direction. She still didn't move or make a sound. Sam and Edward loosened their grip on his arms slightly, and he took another small step.

Finally Calli let out a loud gasp, her eyes opening quickly. Her eyes met Jacob's for just a second before they closed tightly and she let out another scream.

Jacob felt Sam and Edward's grasp tighten again, and he cried out in frustration.

Calli rolled back onto her knees again, grasping her head and screaming frantically.

A loud crack of thunder sounded and they all looked up at the sky and then back at Calli. She gripped her head even tighter and let out several low cries before another agonizingly loud scream ripped through her.

The thunder cracked even louder and they saw a few strikes of lightning in the distance. Calli was still on her knees, her head in her hands lowered almost to the ground, letting out small, quiet cries for a few minutes.

Tears kept streaming down Jacob's face as he watched her, knowing there was nothing he could do. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath, his hands still balled up tightly at his sides. He unclenched them and flexed his fingers a few times.

Suddenly she let out a loud, frightened gasp, her head flying up and raising to the sky. Several loud cracks of thunder sounded one right after another. Calli's whole body was rigid. She stared up toward the sky, breathing raggedly.

And then a bolt of lightning hit her. Jacob stared on in shock for just a moment, not believing what he had seen. As soon as it hit her she screamed.

"Calli!" he yelled, trying to move in her direction. But Sam and Edward were still grasping him, and Emmett began helping again as he tried desperately to go to her.

Another bolt of lightning hit her and she screamed even louder.

"Let me go!" he roared, using all of his strength. "Look at her! She's being hit by bolts of damn lightning!"

"I…I think it's supposed to happen," Carlisle choked out from behind him.

Jacob kept his eyes on Calli. She was still looking up at the sky. Her body began shaking slightly. The shaking intensified until her whole body was convulsing violently. An earsplitting crack of thunder sounded and the biggest, brightest bolt of lightning yet hit her. As soon as it did the convulsing stopped. She took in a sharp, loud breath, and stayed rigid for a moment, before finally falling to the ground.

She lay there, facing away from them all, unmoving. The thunder stopped immediately and there was a noticeable change in the air, as if it had lost its charge.

"Is…is it over?" he heard Bella choke out from behind him.

"I don't know," Carlisle said softly.

Jacob saw Carlisle start making his way toward where she lay on the ground.

"No!" he cried out. "Let me."

Carlisle turned to look at him, giving him a small smile. "If it's not over and I need to come back, I will. But you won't." He turned away and continued toward her slowly, hesitantly. When he was just a few yards away he began to change direction, walking around her in a wide circle. When he got to where he could see her face he stopped and took a small step toward her, eyeing her carefully.

"Jacob," he finally said softly.

Jacob rushed over to Calli and looked down. She lay lifeless, unmoving. Her eyes were closed and her body limp. He crouched down and pulled her into his arms, looking up at Carlisle frantically.

"What's wrong with her? Is this supposed to happen?"

"I…I don't know Jacob. Let's get her inside."

Jacob held her securely to his chest and straightened up, walking toward the house quickly. Everyone followed as he bounded up the steps and opened the door. He hurried to the couch and lowered her to lay on it gently, kneeling down beside her.

Everyone came in and stood quietly looking at her. Sam was closest to Jacob and put his hand on his shoulder once again. Carlisle was the last through the door and closed it quietly behind him.

"Jacob," he began gently, "would you mind stepping back for a moment? I'd like to look her over."

Jacob nodded sullenly, never taking his eyes off Calli. He kissed her cheek lightly and stood up, walking toward the staircase.

Carlisle went and stood beside her. He lifted her arm and dropped it. It fell limply at her side. He pulled her eyelid open and looked at her eye for a minute before releasing it. He pressed a hand to her chest, then to her neck.

He looked back at Jacob. "Please…don't be alarmed at what I'm going to do." He gave him a small smile before sitting on the edge of the couch. He pulled Calli's torso up so that she appeared to be sitting. He shook her hard. She still didn't move. He then looked back at Jacob briefly for a moment before turning back around and slapping her hard.

But still nothing. She remained unmoving as he lowered her back down.

"She's not breathing," Jacob choked out as he reclaimed his position next to her.

"She doesn't need to breathe, so that's not a big deal. It may just be that when she's unconscious…"

"She breathes when she sleeps," he interrupted.

Carlisle was quiet for a minute. "That still is no reason to think…we don't know, and her not breathing does not mean that she's…" He trailed off, unable to finish.

"How can we know for sure?" Bella asked softly.

"We…I don't think we can. The only person who does…is Samuel."

Jacob felt a low growl in his chest at just the mention of his name. He turned back toward Calli and took her hand in his, holding it tightly.

"I…I never thought…I didn't think it would be like that," Alice said, her voice slightly dazed.

"None of us knew what to expect," Esme murmured.

"She's not gone," Emmett said firmly.

Everyone looked at him quickly, Jacob turning and eyeing him carefully. Emmett gave him a small smile. "She's not gonna let that stop her. She's not done."

"I'm taking her upstairs," Jacob said in a choked voice, scooping her up off the couch and darting upstairs. He went quickly to her room and closed the door behind him. He walked to her bed and laid her down gently. He sat down beside her and grasped her hand tightly.

"Calli," he said quietly, his voice breaking. A tear fell down his cheek and he wiped it away quickly. "Calli, you have to…you have to come back, do you hear me? Calli, please. If you can hear me…please…come back."

She lay there, unmoving. Jacob stared down at her for a long time before he kicked off his shoes. He reached down and took hers off and then lay down beside her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and closed his eyes tightly, holding back the sob that threatened to escape.

* * *

When Jacob opened his eyes he could see sunlight pouring through the window. He stretched his arms above his head, feeling Calli next to him.

The memory of the previous night hit him suddenly and he sat up quickly, looking down at Calli. She lay in the same position he had set her down in the night before, her eyes still closed. He tried shaking her slightly, but she didn't respond.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Finally he opened them, lowering his face and putting his lips close to her ear.

"I love you," he whispered. "Come back to me."

He stood up and made his way to the window, staring out at the sunlight that streamed down. He hadn't seen a day this sunny in awhile. He stayed there for a few minutes before heaving a sigh and making his way slowly to the door.

He walked down the stairs, seeing everyone in the living room. They all stood up hurriedly.

"Anything?" Alice asked.

He just shook his head.

"Nothing at all? There was no kind of movement all night?" Carlisle demanded.

"I slept. When I woke up she looked exactly the same. I don't think she's moved."

"I'm going to go check on her," Carlisle said and brushed past him quickly.

"Are you ok Jake?" Bella asked softly.

"I…she has to be ok."

"I know."

"Please excuse me," Edward said quickly and made his way upstairs.

Jacob began pacing back and forth, rubbing his hands over his face.

"It's only been one night Jake. She…she went through a lot. Maybe she just…needs a break or something," Bella said soothingly.

"Yeah maybe."

Edward and Carlisle came down the stairs slowly. They stopped at the bottom and looked at Jacob warily.

"What? What is it?" he demanded.

"I…we…we don't know if it means anything," Carlisle began slowly, eyeing Jacob carefully. "But…her…her scent has changed."

"Her scent?"

"He's right. It's distinctly different," Edward supplied.

Jacob looked at them for a moment before he darted up the stairs. He rushed into Calli's room and to her bed, lowering his head to her body and inhaling. How had he not noticed before? Her scent was less sweet, more musky.

He walked back down the stairs slowly and looked at Carlisle as if in a daze.

"What…what does this mean?"

Carlisle sighed heavily. "I have no idea."


	53. Chapter 52 Connection

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- I never post two chapters in one night. But TopazSun broke me down, so here it is folks. Just remember when you want to chase me with those pitchforks...that you don't know where I live. Lucky me!**

* * *

"Maybe…it's time we start looking for Samuel," Alice said hesitantly. "He's the only one who really knows."

"Even if there was any chance of finding him…he would probably just tell us she was dead anyway," Carlisle said quietly, eyeing Jacob.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be here when she wakes up," Jacob said firmly, avoiding everyone's gazes.

"It's…it's been four days, and nothing. Not even any kind of movement," Rosalie said softly. "Maybe…"

"She's not dead," Jacob said fiercely.

"Why would she be out for this…"

"Stop! I don't want to hear a damn word about that! She is not dead!" Jacob was breathing hard, his whole frame shaking.

"Calm down Jacob. Rosalie, we don't need to talk about that. All we can really do is wait."

"No."

Everyone looked over at Edward.

"I can go."

"What do you mean you can go?" Bella demanded.

"There's a good chance he's not far. I'm sure he wants to be fairly close for what is happening. If I go I can try to find his voice. I don't need to approach him or confront him. All I need to do is hear his mind. As long as he doesn't know I'm listening, he'll have no reason to be dishonest. And I'll know the truth."

"No, it's dangerous. You can't go," Bella said firmly.

Edward turned to her and took her hand. "I'm not looking to fight him. I just need to hear him, just briefly, and we'll know. We have to do something."

"I think...that Bella may be right. Edward, he can hear you too. And if he catches you…"

"I'll run," Edward interrupted. "I am not going to confront him. And I'm sure I can find him and get what I need without him even knowing. I imagine he may be a little preoccupied, and won't be looking for me the way I'm looking for him." Edward looked around at everyone, his eyes resting on Jacob last. "Jacob…what do you think?"

Jacob waited a minute before meeting his gaze. "I…Calli wouldn't want you to."

"What do you want?"

"I just want her to wake up," he practically whispered.

Edward turned back to Bella. "Nothing will happen. But something needs to be done."

Bella stared at him for a long time before she swallowed hard and nodded grimly.

"I'm going with you," Emmett piped up. "If anything happens, I'm gonna be there."

Edward stared into Bella's eyes, nodding his agreement.

"Please be careful," Bella whispered.

"I will. I promise." Edward gave her a kiss on the cheek and looked over at Emmett. "Let's get this over with."

Emmett walked over to Rosalie and gave her a kiss on the cheek too. Edward squeezed Bella's hand and then dropped it to walk over to Carlisle.

"Don't confront him," Carlisle said firmly, looking reproachfully at Emmett. "If there looks like there might be any trouble, you get out of there."

"I know. We will."

"This is assuming you even find him," Rosalie said.

"Like I said, I have a feeling he's close. I doubt he stayed away for this."

"Please be extremely careful," Esme said worriedly.

"We'll be back before you know it," Emmett grinned.

They walked around saying their goodbyes. When they reached Jacob he stared at Edward carefully. Edward just nodded, and soon they were walking out the door.

"I'm gonna go up and see her," Jacob said sullenly and went over to make his way upstairs.

Esme, Carlisle, and Rosalie soon made their way up the stairs also.

"What's wrong Alice?" Bella demanded when it was just them and Jasper.

"Don't try and tell her nothing…I can feel it."

"I…I don't really know why I can never see Samuel. All I can figure is that he blocks me a lot. But…I can see Edward and Emmett."

"Do you see something happening to Edward? Why didn't you say something before they left?" Bella demanded frantically.

"Calm down Bella," Alice hissed, looking up the stairs. "They're going to be fine…they'll be back by the end of the day."

Bella let out a jagged breath, visibly relieved.

"Do they find him?" Jasper asked.

Alice nodded.

"And?"

"He…he has no connection to her anymore."

"What does that mean?"

Alice looked at Bella for a long time before answering. "She's dead."

* * *

Jacob lay next to Calli on the bed, grasping her hand firmly in his.

"Wake up Calli," he murmured, looking over at her. "I know you're in there. Wake up. I need you."

The last few days had been agonizing. She looked as if she were dead. She made no movement, gave no sign that she was still there. But he knew, somehow, that she had to be.

He knew she was too strong to let this kill her. There was something in her that he knew would save her…would bring her back. But every minute that she just lay there was torture.

Because sometimes a part of his mind let him believe that she might be dead. He had watched her get struck by lightning several times. He wasn't sure how anyone could survive that.

But, in a technical sense, she was already dead. So what could this ascension have done to her to make her, well, really dead?

And how could he possibly go on without her? She was his entire life. He knew that, without her, there was no him. There was no reason to go on.

He pushed the thought of her being dead quickly from his mind. He couldn't let himself think that way. She would be awake soon. She would be back.

He reached over and stroked her cheek lightly.

She would be back.

* * *

"Why didn't you say anything?" Bella asked, after the room had stayed silent for a long time.

"I…I knew they would come back safely. And I just…I couldn't be the one to say it…not to Jacob," Alice murmured.

"Maybe…maybe it will turn out differently," Jasper spoke up. "It's happened before. We won't know for sure until they get back."

"Maybe," Alice said thoughtfully. "How can she be…gone?"

"She can't be. Jake…he'll just…"

Just then there was a knock on the door. Alice jumped up to answer it.

"Hey Sam," she said as she opened it slowly.

"Hello Alice. I…well, we were hoping…"

"It's fine, come on in."

Alice opened the door wider. Sam walked in, followed by Billy in his chair.

"Billy!" Bella exclaimed, jumping up off the couch.

"Hello Bella," Billy said, giving her a small smile. "How are you?"

"I…well, alright, I guess. Everything considered. You're here to see Jacob?"

"Yes."

"Let me run upstairs and tell him you're here."

Bella stared at Billy for just a second before making her way up the stairs. She walked to Calli's door and knocked lightly.

"Yeah."

Bella opened the door slowly. Calli slay on the bed where she had been for days. Jacob was kneeling next to it, holding her hand.

"Hey. Umm, Billy and Sam are here to see you."

His head whipped up to look at her. "Billy?"

"Yeah. They're downstairs."

Jacob looked back at Calli for a second before kissing her hand and laying it on the bed. He stood up and rubbed his hands over his face, walking toward the door and following Bella downstairs.

"Hey Sam…dad."

"How are you?" Billy asked quietly.

"Ok," Jacob said, looking down at the ground.

"Let's go outside."

Jacob looked at him and nodded, walking over and opening the door. Billy went out and he followed, closing the door behind him.

"How are you really?" Billy asked as he turned to face him.

"Starting to feel like I might lose my mind. Edward and Emmett…they went to see if they can find Samuel. Edward's gonna try to listen to his mind, see what he hears."

Billy nodded. "And still nothing from her?"

Jacob shook his head.

Billy came over to him and took his hand. "I believe she will wake up."

"She has to wake up," Jacob choked out.

"I know. Let's go back inside. I believe Sam has something you may want to hear."

Jacob looked at him questioningly as they walked back into the house. Everyone was in the living room again.

"Did you tell him?" Sam directed his question at Billy, who shook his head.

"Tell me what?"

"A few members of the pack were patrolling early this morning. They're pretty sure…well, Embry says they saw Samuel."

Jacob stared for a moment before responding. "Is he sure?"

"He was here the night before Calli's birthday, when we saw him on the lawn. He says it was definitely him."

"This might be good news," Esme said. "Edward and Emmett went looking for him, and obviously he's close by. Edward may be able to find out something."

Jacob saw Bella and Alice exchange a look.

"They went after him?" Sam demanded.

"Only to see if Edward can hear something," Carlisle explained. "Samuel and Calli are connected. Samuel is the only one who knows if…well…" He trailed off.

"What happened?" Jacob demanded.

"He didn't even try anything. He disappeared soon after they saw him."

"Where was he?"

"Not too far from here. The…the other elders have asked us to stop patrolling for him. They say he's no threat…to us. Or other humans."

Jacob eyed him, then turned to Billy.

"I did not agree with them," Billy said quickly. "But I was outnumbered."

"So we're not even going to try and kill him?" Jacob hissed.

"I…I'm sorry Jake. It seems he's only a threat to…well, to Calli really. And the other elders…"

"Don't think it's our problem," Jacob supplied angrily.

"They're wrong," Esme said softly.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"He killed on your land," she said, looking at Sam.

"What are you talking about, he killed on our land? He hasn't killed anyone," Sam said hurriedly.

"Yes he did," Jacob said softly.

"What are you talking about Jake?"

Jacob stared him in the eye for a moment before answering. "Calli was bitten on the reservation."

"What? Why didn't you tell me this before?"

Jacob sighed. "I didn't even think about it much."

Sam started pacing. "This definitely changes things. He was hunting on our land!"

"He wasn't…" Jacob began.

"So, the pack will continue to search for him, right?" Carlisle interrupted, looking meaningfully at Jacob. He quickly shut his mouth.

"Yes," Sam said firmly. "I'm sure the elder's minds will be changed by this. I need to go and talk to them, and put another patrol out."

Jacob nodded. Billy came over and squeezed his hand.

"It's going to be alright."

Jacob squeezed back, nodding.

Sam came and gave him a tight hug. "We'll get him," he whispered before letting go and making his way to the door. He and Billy glanced back at Jacob before opening the door and leaving.

Jacob looked over at Carlisle.

"If they knew he had just followed Calli and was not hunting on the land they might not patrol for him. If we have any hope of ever killing him we will need the pack."

Jacob nodded.

"If he's in the area there's a good chance Edward and Emmett will find him. Alice, have you seen anything?" Carlisle questioned, looking over at her.

Alice swallowed hard and shook her head.

Carlisle sighed. "Then we wait."


	54. Chapter 53 Decision

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

Edward and Emmett walked in the door in the very early hours of the morning. Everyone was waiting in the living room. As soon as they walked in Bella ran to Edward and threw her arms around his neck. He hugged her tightly.

Rosalie walked over and gave Emmett a hug. He leaned down and kissed her.

Jacob and Carlisle had been pacing anxiously. When Bella finally released Edward he looked over at Alice strangely, but she averted her gaze, looking over at the wall.

Esme rushed over to them. "Thank goodness you're both alright," she said as she hugged each of them.

When the hugging stopped and most everyone was settled on the couch Carlisle looked carefully at Edward, who looked grim.

"You found him?" Carlisle asked.

Edward just nodded.

Carlisle and Jacob were the only ones still standing. Carlisle stood in front of those on the couch, while Jacob stood further away, near the staircase.

"Did he know you were there?"

"No, I don't think he did. We were only near him for a few minutes."

"Sam came by earlier. He said a few members of the pack came across him yesterday, so we figured he was pretty close."

Edward just nodded again.

"Were you able to find out anything?" Carlisle finally asked, his voice full of anxiety.

Edward and Emmett exchanged a glance. When Edward turned back to Carlisle his expression was grim. He nodded curtly.

Jacob walked closer. "What did you hear?" he demanded.

Edward took a deep breath and stared at Jacob for a minute before turning his eyes away. "Samuel no longer has a connection to her," he said quietly.

"Could…that be for some other reason?" Esme asked fearfully.

"Every time he's lost the connection before, it's been because…when…" he trailed off and looked up at Jacob again. "I'm so sorry," he murmured. "He's only lost the connection when they died."

No!" Jacob roared. "No! She is not dead! I don't care what you heard, she is not dead!" He stormed up the stairs and they heard Calli's door slam.

"No," Esme breathed.

"Alice," Edward began angrily.

"I'm so sorry Edward," she said, shaking her head. "I just couldn't do it."

"What are you talking about?" Carlisle said flatly.

"Alice saw us come back and tell you she was dead. She saw just before we left…I should have been paying closer attention."

"I was hoping…maybe it could turn out differently," she said in a choked voice.

"This can't be," Carlisle said in a pained voice, sinking down on the couch next to Esme, who grasped his hand tightly. "She…she was so strong…I was sure…"

"I'm with Jacob," Emmett interrupted firmly. "I don't think she's dead."

"Emmett," Rosalie began.

"No. I don't care what he thinks, or what happened before, or any of it. Calli's different than the rest of them were, right? So how come this can't be different?"

"The connection was the same though," Bella said softly.

"Well, I don't care," he said stubbornly. "I think she's still alive."

"It's been five days, and nothing," Carlisle said dully. "I can't imagine that she would just be…out for this long."

"She…she can't be dead," Alice said softly.

* * *

Jacob walked slowly to the bed and looked down at her. She looked a lot like she had that night he had picked her up and brought her here; as if she were just sleeping. 

Except now she wasn't breathing. Her face had a pallor it hadn't then. Her beauty was a little more defined.

But she was his Calli; she had been then, and she was now. His life.

He lay on his side next to her as the first tear fell. He wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Please wake up Calli," he whispered. "You can't be dead. I know you can't be dead."

He wiped a few tears from his cheek and took a deep breath.

"I know you're coming back," he said resolutely, his voice shaking slightly. "I know you are. You're too strong for this. I told you I would pull you back. I'm not letting go." He stroked her face softly as he spoke.

* * *

"You're here." 

Calli turned to look at her, a smile on her face. "Of course."

Calli looked at her carefully. At other Calli.

"I thought you couldn't come back."

"I couldn't."

"So what changed?"

"I don't belong to him anymore."

"Do you belong to me?"

Other Calli nodded.

"Because I'm dead?"

Other Calli began walking down the beach. Calli caught up quickly and walked by her side.

"I don't know," other Calli began. "All I know now is what you know. And you don't know the answer to that either. All I can figure is that either we're dead, or you're alive and so strong that he has no claim to you any longer."

"Is that possible?" Calli asked anxiously.

"It's something he was afraid of."

"Were we right, about what I was…what I am?"

"Yes. Samuel could only figure he left because he knew he had gotten your mother pregnant. That he thought maybe if he left you could have some sort of normal life. Guess that went out the window though." She chuckled at that last part.

"Yeah, I guess so," Calli said with a smile.

"Would you go back?"

"No," Calli said softly. "I can't go back to a world I can't see Jacob in."

Other Calli stopped walking and turned toward her. "I imagine that's why we're at this place."

Calli looked around at the spot on the beach where Jacob had proposed to her.

"What if I'm dead?"

"I have a strong feeling you may have some kind of control over that. Like it's a decision you need to make."

"I'm supposed to make the decision of whether or not I'm dead? That doesn't make any sense."

"Not much of this makes sense, does it?"

Calli sighed.

Other Calli smiled. "But you still consider the options."

"If I were dead, they wouldn't be in danger from Samuel anymore, I'm sure. Is he a danger to them?"

Other Calli nodded. "More than you know right now."

"And if I were gone that danger wouldn't be there?"

Other Calli nodded again.

"They think I'm worth it," Calli mused.

"Do you? Or, more importantly, can you let go?"

"I want them to be safe…so badly. I hate putting them in danger. But I don't even know how to let them go."

"This isn't choosing a life without them Calli. This is choosing to die for them. You don't need to figure out how you would live without them. That's the thing. You won't."

"But they would be safe."

"It's a good possibility."

Calli looked out at the water, wrapping her arms around herself. "Jacob," she murmured.

"Can you let go?" other Calli asked softly.

* * *

Jacob woke up with a start. His eyes darted over to Calli, who still lay beside him on the bed. 

"What the hell?" he muttered under his breath, replaying the dream he had just had through his mind.

He sat up suddenly, gasping, looking down at Calli. It hadn't been a dream. It had been her; her mind. He wasn't sure how he knew that, but he knew.

"You listen to me," he said firmly, putting his face down close to hers. "You come back to me. I don't care if you think we're in danger. If you let go because of him it won't be any less…I will go after him, and I won't rest until one of us is dead. You come back, do you hear me? Please Calli. Please." He kissed her quickly on the cheek before darting to the door.

"Carlisle!" he yelled as he went down the stairs. Carlisle was in the living room and jumped up when he saw him. Everyone else did too.

"Did she wake up? Did something happen?" he demanded.

"She didn't wake up…but she can. I had a dream. No, it wasn't even a dream. I was in her mind, I know I was. I was dreaming about her talking to herself. You, know, that other Calli. She was telling her that her being dead was her decision…like she had to choose. And Calli was talking about how if she were dead we wouldn't be in danger anymore."

"Ok, hold on," Carlisle said, putting up his hand to stop him. "I don't think I understand."

"I know this dream was real. And Calli gets to decide. She can decide to live, or she can decide to die."

"Did she decide in the dream?" Alice asked anxiously.

"Not exactly. But she was talking about dying so we wouldn't be in danger from Samuel anymore."

"Are you sure this was…"

"I'm sure," Jacob interrupted, looking at Carlisle intently. "They talked about the connection too. The other Calli told her that Samuel had been worried that when Calli ascended his connection to her might be broken."

Carlisle stared at him for just a moment. "Come on, everyone," he said and went quickly up the stairs, everyone following behind. They went into Calli's room and he walked slowly to the bed with Jacob. Everyone else hung back.

"Calli…I think you can hear me," Carlisle began hesitantly. "And if you can…please, come back. Don't make the decision to die. We don't care if we're in danger. We want you to come back. Please Calli."

Esme walked over to him and took his hand. "He's right Calli. We would rather be in danger than lose you."

"Please," Emmett said dismissively, walking over to the bed. "I already told Calli we're gonna kick this guy's ass. So hurry and get your butt up. I'm getting impatient."

"Come back Calli," Alice said softly. "We miss you."

Edward and Bella walked over to the bed.

"You are worth it Calli. Please…come back," Bella said.

Jacob went and took Calli's hand. "We're all here waiting for you. Don't leave us Calli. Don't leave me."


	55. Chapter 54 Doesn't Matter

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- I've been on a roll the last few days with writing this story, which makes me happy because I went through a dry spell for awhile, but in another way it makes me sad...because I'm starting to get close to the end. Don't worry, there will still be more chapters posted, but I always write ahead with this story, and I'm starting to get to the end. Sometimes I wish it could go on forever. But I hope you enjoy what is left of it...I really love writing it, and I'm glad at least a few are enjoying reading it. Thanks everyone!**

* * *

"Jacob…Jacob it's been three days. I think that maybe…she made the decision."

"This can't be happening," Jacob said in a pained voice, looking at Carlisle with red rimmed eyes.

"I know. I know it's hard. I just…I think maybe it's time to let her go."

"I can't," he whispered. "I can't let her go. She…can't have made this decision."

"I know…well, I imagine that it hurts very badly. But if…well, she made the decision with good intentions."

"No!" Jacob said harshly, rising from the chair in Carlisle's study. "This is not the right decision!" He rubbed his eyes hard. "She can't be gone."

"I'm so sorry Jacob. But it's been over a week. I think she would have woken up by now. It's…time to let go."

"But what if you're wrong," Jacob said hurriedly, looking at him with wide eyes. "If she's still in there…"

The room was silent for a few minutes.

"How would we…" Jacob began grimly. "Do we have to…" He trailed off.

Carlisle looked down at the desktop. "We would have to burn her body," he said quietly.

"But if you're wrong there's no coming back from that!"

"Do you really think I'm wrong?"

"She has to be in there…that dream was real! I was in her mind; it's what she was thinking!"

"Yes, I do believe that. But she had a decision to make at the end. And she was leaning more towards…the decision to die."

"I can't think that she would…choose to leave me," Jacob said in a dull voice.

"Maybe you should think of it as she chose to try and save you," Carlisle replied gently. "She wanted to save us all."

"She has to know I would go after him," he hissed through clenched teeth.

"It's not what she would want. It's the exact opposite of what she wants."

"So what? I'm just supposed to sit back and do nothing?"

"I…don't know. I wish I could tell you what to do. But I don't know."

"This can't be happening. I can't believe…she can't be dead." Jacob lowered his head into his hands for a minute before looking back up at Carlisle. "Don't you think…that there has to be…that there's a possibility she's still alive?"

"I wish I could say yes Jacob," he replied gently. "But…after all this time…I just don't think so."

"She's my whole life," he whispered.

"I know Jacob. I can't imagine how difficult this is for you."

He rubbed his hands over his face. "I'm gonna go see her."

Carlisle just nodded. He walked out of the study and made his way slowly to Calli's door. He opened it and just stared at her lying on the bed for a minute before going in and shutting the door gently. He walked to the bed and knelt down next to her. He reached out slowly and took her hand in his.

Calli," he whispered. He cleared his throat and blinked a few times. "Why didn't you come back?"

He sat there unmoving for a long time before he reached out and brushed her cheek with his hand. "How am I supposed to let you go?" he choked out. "I…I can't. There's nothing without you."

"The first time I saw you, when I imprinted, I couldn't imagine a life with you. I wouldn't let myself. But now…I can't imagine a life without you. You are my everything. I…I need you. I need you to come back. I have to believe there's something in there that can hear me. I can't believe that you're gone. I know you. I don't think you could just let go."

He put his lips to her ear. "Please don't let go," he whispered. "I need you to come back. If you can hear me…please come back."

He knelt next to her for hours, just staring at her unmoving form. Finally he stood and looked down at her for a minute before making his way to the door and down the stairs.

"Hey Jake," Bella said softly from the couch.

He looked down to see her, Edward, Alice and Emmett all in the living room.

"Hey."

"Are you…never mind. I guess that's kind of a dumb question."

When he got to the bottom step he sat down and put his head in his hands.

They sat there for a few minutes in silence before there was a knock on the door.

"It's Sam and your dad Jacob," Alice said softly.

Jacob sighed, then stood up and walked to the door. He opened it slowly.

"Hey Jake," Sam said quietly.

"Hey." He stepped to the side and let them in.

"Still nothing?"

Jacob shook his head.

Billy came over and took his hand, saying nothing.

"What now?" Sam asked softly.

"What do you mean 'what now'? You're talking like she's gone. She's not," Emmett said firmly.

"Emmett, it's been…" Alice began.

"I don't give a damn how long it's been. She wouldn't just give up."

"If she thought it was the right thing, the best thing for everyone else, she might," Bella said quietly.

Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, and Rosalie came slowly down the stairs.

"Hello Sam, Billy," Carlisle said when he reached the bottom.

"Carlisle," Billy said quietly. Sam only nodded.

"Is there any chance that she is still alive?" Billy asked, directing the question at Carlisle.

"I…don't believe so," Carlisle said quietly, looking at Jacob.

"What now?" Sam repeated.

"Well, we will have to…" Carlisle began.

"Now I find Samuel," Jacob said firmly.

"What?" Sam and Bella said at the same time.

"I'm going to find Samuel…and I'm going to kill him," he said in a slow, dull voice.

"Jacob, you can't…" Bella began.

"Jacob," Edward interrupted grimly, "I don't think you'll have to look far."

"What do you mean?"

Edward hesitated before answering. "He's outside."

Jacob stared with wide eyes for just a second before he threw the door open and ran outside.

Samuel was standing at the edge of the trees, a big smile on his face.

Jacob stopped about halfway down the lawn, everyone stopping behind him.

"This is quite depressing," Samuel said in an amused voice. "No one here to block me, and now I have no reason to kill you all." He smiled wider. "You know, at first I was afraid that maybe our connection was merely broken by the ascension. But I can see that she is in fact…gone."

"I'm going to tear you to shreds," Jacob said menacingly, moving towards him. He felt someone grab his arm.

Samuel laughed. "Poor Calli. All that pain just so she would die. You know, there were a few who were out after the ascension. But never more than a day."

"It must really piss you off that she was gonna be stronger than you," Emmett said harshly.

Samuel's face went hard. "If I were you I would keep my mouth shut. There's no one here to protect you."

"There's no one here to keep us from killing you either."

Samuel laughed again. "As if you could kill me! I have more power than you can even imagine!"

"Try it on me," Jacob hissed, trying to advance again. Sam held him back.

"Looks like you're still on a leash."

"If we're going to kill him, we need the rest of the pack," Sam whispered to him.

"Don't you understand? You can't kill me! You never will! I could kill all of you right now if I wanted to! But, there's just no fun in it anymore."

"Calli was stronger than you before she even ascended," Jacob said. "She would have destroyed you. You know that."

"And now Calli's dead," Samuel said mockingly. "Your poor little girlfriend is gone."

"She always loved me. And she never loved you. That kills you, doesn't it? You loved her. And she hated you."

"Shut up," Samuel said quietly.

"She was the only thing you wanted that you could never have. And you knew it."

"Shut up!" Samuel yelled, taking a few steps toward him.

Jacob shrugged Sam off and stepped toward Samuel. "Go ahead," he hissed.

"Do you really want to do this?" Samuel asked angrily, taking another step toward him.

Jacob glared, narrowing his eyes. "Yep."

"Ok then." Samuel smiled, then looked up at the sky. Dark clouds began rolling in, and a loud crack of thunder sounded. A strong wind whipped through the trees, howling loudly.

"Jacob!" Bella yelled. "Don't do this!"

"Go inside!" Jacob yelled back. "All of you, go inside now!"

"Jacob she wouldn't want you to do this!" Carlisle shouted.

"Listen to him Jacob," Billy ordered. "You can't win this."

"I know," Jacob said, never looking back. "It doesn't matter…not without her."


	56. Chapter 55 Changes

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous character of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- Please leave a review after you read...it won't take too much time and will make me OH so happy. Thanks everyone!**

* * *

Jacob glared at Samuel, who smiled back widely.

And before he knew what had happened, Samuel flew back hard into a tree behind him.

"What the…Jacob, did you…" Emmett began in confusion.

Jacob turned quickly to see everyone still behind him, their confused faces turning to shock as they stared past him. He whirled around to face Samuel again.

All of a sudden he felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He didn't quite feel the pain, but all the air left his body violently. The air around him felt like it held a charge, like there was some sort of electricity coursing through it. His head began swimming; he couldn't form a single coherent thought. His skin tingled slightly, almost like it could be falling asleep, but not that strong.

All of this happened as soon as he laid eyes on her. She wasn't looking at him; instead she faced to the side, staring Samuel down.

Calli. His Calli. His Calli…who didn't look like his Calli anymore; at least not completely. He marveled at the fact that it had been maybe thirty minutes since he had last looked at her, and somehow she seemed so very different.

She had always been beautiful. But now there was something almost magnetic about her beauty. Like it was there strictly to pull people in. Her features hadn't seemed to change much; maybe just the way they were viewed. Every second he looked at her created a need to go to her that felt almost painful it was so intense.

She had always been graceful, but as she took a few steps toward Samuel he couldn't help but notice how absolutely perfect each singular movement she made was. He felt literally as if his eyes were attached to her, following everything she did with no say in the matter.

These thoughts raced through his mind in a matter of moments and it startled him to find that in the back of his mind he was almost wondering who exactly he was looking at. He finally drew in a quick, jagged breath, realizing he hadn't breathed since laying eyes on her.

"Calli?" he murmured breathlessly.

Calli began advancing more quickly towards Samuel, who scrambled to stand up. As soon as he saw her his eyes grew wide and he took a few steps back.

"What…what happened to her?" he heard Emmett mutter from behind him.

"What's wrong, you don't want to play?" she said mockingly. "And here I thought you were all ready for a fight."

She looked…strong, confident. Not only were her movements graceful and perfect, but also fearless and assured. She showed no weakness here in front of the man she had been terrified of for months. Her demeanor screamed of authority.

"You're not dead," Samuel said almost angrily. He tried hard to look unafraid, but next to Calli he seemed almost to cower.

"Not quite."

"You were out for so long!"

"I guess I just needed my rest," she said with a smirk.

"And…your…powers…" he trailed off.

Her smile widened. "I bet it just kills you that you're not in my mind anymore, doesn't it? That you have absolutely no idea…" she trailed off.

Suddenly the wind started howling again, and another crack of thunder sounded. The charge Jacob could feel in the air intensified, and his need to go to her felt like it might burst from him. But something, maybe that voice in his mind questioning who he was seeing in front of him, held him back and he continued to stare on, unmoving. Calli's eyes turned pitch black. Jacob heard a few gasps behind him. She looked right at Samuel, eyes black, a grin on her face. "What all I can do."

She held her hand out in front of her, palm up. Small bolts of what could only be described as electricity danced from her fingertips, a pale, but bright blue, glowing radiantly. Samuel's eyes became even wider as he watched her hand, mesmerized.

Suddenly her hand shot out in his direction. Sparks flew forward, hitting Samuel square in the chest. He cried out and flew back into the tree behind him, his clothing scorched and smoking.

Calli walked quickly and bent over him. "If you ever come back here, I'll kill you. Do you understand me?" She straightened up and took a few steps back. "And if you think you inflicted some pain in your day…wait until you see what I can do," she sneered.

Samuel scrambled up. The look of fear on his face slowly turned to anger as he stared at Calli.

"Don't underestimate me, little girl. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve," he spat at her, and then disappeared into the trees.

She just stood there, watching the path he had taken through the forest.

"Calli?" Carlisle's voice shook slightly, sounding hesitant.

Finally Calli turned toward them. But instead of pointing her gaze to Carlisle, she looked right into Jacob's eyes.

Her gaze made his legs feel as if they might turn to jelly. He actually swayed slightly, but never looked away. In that moment the charge felt like it was being bounced between them; he felt it strong, then it would fade slightly, and strengthen again. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it might jump right out of his chest.

The way he felt when he looked at her had always been intense. But this was so far from that. The way he was responding to her now almost frightened him. Her eyes seemed to hold him whether he wanted them to or not.

Her face was hard, cold when she first looked at him. But when their gazes locked it turned softer, and a small smile came to her lips. The small smile that he always loved, that made his heart skip a beat. Only now it felt like it skipped maybe six or seven, and he found that he hadn't breathed again. He drew in air deeply.

And the voice in the back of his mind faded seamlessly. This was his Calli he was looking at. Everything was intensified beyond belief. He focused on her completely. Not just because he had no choice in the matter, which a part of him knew was true, but because he wanted to.

"Calli," he finally said softly.

Her head cocked to the side slightly, as if she were questioning something. Finally she just gave him a slight nod.

"Calli…what…you're…different," Alice sputtered from behind him.

"I…think we need to go inside. You two can come in when you're ready," Carlisle said firmly.

Jacob listened to the sounds of them walk across the lawn, up the stairs and into the house. His eyes never left Calli's; the charge never left the air.

He wasn't sure how long they stood there like that, just staring at each other. He still felt such an intense need to go to her, but at the same time could feel something holding him back.

"Jacob," she finally said gently.

Her voice had always sounded beautiful to him, but now it seemed to flow so perfectly he felt like it wasn't real.

He stared at her for what felt like years before responding. "Can you…feel that?"

The small smile returned to her lips. "Glad to know I'm not the only one," she said quietly.

And finally there was no more holding back. He walked to her swiftly. As soon as the arm he moved around to her back touched her, he gasped quietly. She placed her hand on his chest and looked up at him, eyes wide.

He knew she had felt it too. The unmistakable jolt that had gone through him as soon as they had touched. It pulsed through his body, exciting and terrifying all at the same time. He saw her take in a slow, deep breath. Her eyes closed and she smiled.

"So warm," she murmured.

"You're really here," he moaned quietly before leaning down and placing his lips on hers.

If he thought he had gotten a jolt at her touch, it was nothing compared to what went through him as soon as their lips met. It was so intense, so amazingly powerful, that he actually pushed her away, looking down at her with wide eyes.

But her arms wound around his neck tightly, pulling his head back down to hers and kissing him again.

This time he welcomed the feelings that seemed to pump through his entire body, from the tips of his fingers to the bottom of his feet. His arms clung to her as he deepened the kiss. He felt a tremor go through his body and he moaned quietly, tightening his hold on her. She held to him desperately.

When he finally pulled away he was gasping for air. He kept his eyes shut, trying to control his erratic breathing. He could hear her breathing quickly.

When he opened his eyes she was staring up at him, her face slightly puzzled.

"What is this Calli?"

"I…I don't know," she stammered.

"But you can feel it?"

She nodded. "It's like…energy. It's so strong…it's…"

"Amazing," he finished for her quietly.

"No. The way I felt toward you before was amazing. This is…on a whole different level."

"You're…different."

She looked down at the ground, as if she were ashamed, and nodded her head.

He cupped his hand around her chin and lifted her eyes to his again. "Calli. My Calli." His throat began constricting, and he cleared it. "You came back to me."

"I could never leave you," she whispered.

"We thought you were gone. I thought I lost you."

She reached up and touched his cheek lightly, smiling. "I'm here."

He closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly. "I just…I couldn't…" Suddenly his eyes flew open to stare down at her perfect face; a face he was sure never could have gotten more perfect but somehow had. "Were you really considering leaving me?" he demanded.

She looked up at him in confusion. "What?"

"In your dream...you were talking to yourself again…you were talking about how you had a choice to live or die."

"What are you talking about? My dream? How do you know I had a dream?"

"Because I had your dream. It was like I was in your mind…I could see what you were seeing."

Her face grew more and more puzzled as he spoke. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You don't remember having a dream?"

"No. The last thing I remember is being in a ton of pain yesterday, and then everything…"

"Yesterday!" he almost shouted.. "Don't you have any idea how long you've been out?"

"More than a day?" Her brow furrowed.

He looked at her carefully. "You really don't remember anything? You don't remember hearing any of us talking to you? The dream? Nothing?"

She shook her head. "The last thing I remember is being in terrible pain. And then, just a little while ago, it was like I woke up…but it was…in my head somehow. I guess I wasn't exactly awake. When I did it was like there were two ways to go in my mind. I went one way…and then I woke up in my bed and came out here."

"You've been out for nine days Calli," he said gently.

"Nine days!" Her expression changed to shock. "It…it doesn't feel like that long," she murmured.

He leaned down and kissed her softly. The feelings that went through him were just as intense, and he pulled away quickly. "What is going on between us?"

"I think…that things have changed." She spoke in a voice that sounded almost sad.

He looked at her intently for a long time before replying. "Some things will never change," he said gently.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you." He reached up and stroked her cheek. "Why don't we go inside? Maybe Carlisle can help us understand what's happening."

She looked up at him and nodded. He took her hand and they made their way across the lawn and up the steps. He reached out to open the door and then paused.

"Some things will never change Calli…ever. Ok?"

She smiled at him and nodded as he opened the door

As soon as they walked in Alice hurtled herself at Calli and gave her a tight hug.

"Oh!" Calli said in surprise. "You…are stronger than me Alice," she said breathlessly.

Alice released her. "Sorry," she said with a big grin. "I…I just thought you were really gone."

"I'm here," Calli said, giving her a small smile.

Alice stood there, unmoving, staring at her intently.

Calli eyed her carefully. "What?"

Alice shook her head back and forth as if coming out of a daze. "It's…you're…there's something about you. It's like it's almost…impossible for me not to look."

Calli turned her eyes to Jacob, exchanging a look.

"It's not just us," he muttered.

"Calli," Carlisle began slowly. "There seem to be some…significant changes here."

Calli looked over at Carlisle. "What are you guys…what are you feeling when you look at me?"

Carlisle looked around the room at everyone. "We were just discussing that. It feels as if our eyes are drawn to you. As if our entire being is drawn to you. We feel an unmistakable pull. I assume that is what you are feeling Jacob?"

"No," Calli said firmly. "What is happening is affecting both me and Jacob. And it's not just a pull. It's like…energy. It's in the air. We can feel it." She looked at Jacob for confirmation.

He nodded. "She's right. There is something…huge going on here. It's unbelievable."

"What is going on Carlisle?"

He sighed. "I have a theory. I believe I'm right, but…"

Calli and Jacob just looked at him expectantly.

"When William described the half breeds he said that people were naturally drawn to them without really knowing why. I'm assuming that he just didn't mention, or didn't know, that this probably occurred after the ascension. Physically you seem to have changed slightly. You look…a little enhanced maybe. I can look at you and see there aren't a lot of actual physical changes in you. But the way I see you seems to be completely different. The way you move…even your voice seems to have changed. It has an almost…hypnotic quality to it."

Calli looked around the room, amazed, and confused. "And you all feel it?"

They all nodded.

"You…look different somehow. I can't really say your features have changed too much, but…" Esme trailed off.

"It's like the way you see them has," Jacob supplied.

"Yes. I believe that's a perfect way to describe it."

The room was silent for a minute. Then Carlisle approached Calli, wrapping her in a tight hug.

"You gave me quite a scare," he murmured as he pulled away from her.

"Well…I didn't mean to."

"I'm just glad you're back," he said with a smile.

She smiled back. "Me too."

"Did you feel anything when you touched her Carlisle?" Jacob questioned. "Like a…shock…or a jolt?"

Carlisle looked at him quizzically. "No."

He and Calli exchanged another look.

Almost everyone came up then to hug Calli. When they were finished they all sat down.

"So you made the right decision," Bella finally said softly.

"I…have no idea what you guys are talking about."

Everyone looked at her questioningly.

"Jacob told me about a dream he had…or I had…I don't know. But I don't remember anything. I thought that my…birthday was yesterday. I had no idea I had been out that long. I don't remember anything."

"Nothing? You didn't hear any of us talking to you? Or any kind of dreams at all?"

"No."

"Does that mean it really just was a dream?" Jacob directed toward Carlisle.

Carlisle looked thoughtful for a moment before responding. "I think that you were in fact in Calli's mind. I just think Calli doesn't recall it. Calli," he looked at her. "In the dream, the other Calli told Jacob that Samuel no longer has a connection to you. Is that true?"

"Yes," Calli said in a hard voice. "In a way. I can connect to him, if I want to. But…I can just feel…the hold is gone."

"Do you…feel different?"

Calli looked at Jacob before she sighed, hanging her head. "I feel completely different," she said quietly.

"More powerful?" Emmett questioned. "Because that electricity thing was pretty awesome."

Calli was quiet for a long time. Jacob squeezed her hand and she looked up at him. He gave her a small smile.

"There's…that," she began slowly. "But there's just…so much more. I'm feeling all these things…there's just so much…" she trailed off, sighing in frustration. "I feel…less…human almost."

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked gently.

"I can…feel…the power coursing through me. It's so…strong. I feel…almost like I'm out of control. Or like I could be. Like…maybe I want to be. I know I'm still me. But I feel like in a matter of seconds that could change."

Jacob squeezed her hand tighter and pulled her closer to him.

"You didn't lose control out there," Carlisle said gently.

"But I could have." She looked him directly in the eye. "So easily. I've never…felt anything like this before. It…hurts almost. Like it's trying to fight its way out. It's something that wasn't in me before. And I can feel this…energy. All around me. Like it's in the air."

"I can feel that too," Jacob interjected.

"Did it hurt a lot…your ascension I mean?" Alice asked.

Calli cringed slightly and Jacob wrapped his arm around her.

"I…felt like I wanted to die," she said softly. "I was scared…but there was no way to imagine pain like that. It was…beyond unbearable. I…I really thought that I was just going to die."

"You didn't," Jacob said firmly. "And it's over now…you never have to go through that again."

"I feel like at any minute I'm going to…fly off the handle or something. I feel totally out of control."

"You're in complete control now," Carlisle said pointedly.

"It is taking so much effort," Calli said almost painfully. "I'm fighting it."

"Do you think…you have a lot of other powers?" Esme asked softly.

"Yes."

"Are you more powerful than Samuel?"

"Yes."

"So there's nothing to worry about, right?" Bella asked. "If you're more powerful than him, he won't try and mess with you."

"That's not the only thing I have to worry about. I have to try to keep this under control. The more I use it, the harder it will get. There is a fight going on inside me. If that…other part of me wins…I will be very dangerous. Plus, right now it doesn't really matter that I'm more powerful than him. He's more experienced. My powers are stronger than his…I know that, he knows that. But his mind is much much stronger than mine. He's been doing this for hundreds of years. And he doesn't care if he loses control…he's not trying to be good, to be in control. He's never really tried to fight me…he's never unleashed himself on me before. If he were to…if I were to become…"

Jacob reached out and turned her face to look at him.

"That is not going to happen. You're strong. You will never become like that. I know it."

"You don't have to use your powers Calli," Carlisle said pointedly.

"I will have to…I'm not going to have a choice," she said grimly.

"Why?" Edward asked.

Calli looked at Carlisle for a moment, then turned her eyes to Jasper.

"Ask him."

* * *

**A/N- Oh ye of little faith! Did any of you really think I could kill off Calli?**


	57. Chapter 56 As It Comes

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- Thanks to everyone who is reviewing, I really appreciate it, and I love hearing what you have to say!**

* * *

"What?" Jasper asked.

"Jasper?" Alice said, her voice full of confusion.

"How long have you been planning against him Jasper? Does everyone else know; am I the only one who had no idea?"

Calli stared Jasper down. He stared right back, the look of confusion on his face soon turning to just a blank stare. Everyone looked at him expectantly, but he just continued to watch Calli.

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Jasper?"

Jasper shook his head, pulling his gaze from Calli's. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I…she's different." He took a moment to compose himself before he spoke again. "Planning? Planning what? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"So you haven't been planning a way to kill Samuel?"

Comprehension finally flooded his face. "Oh. That. I…well, we kind of talked about it. Just once. We've never done anything. I wouldn't exactly call it planning."

Calli eyed him carefully. "But you've been planning. Strategizing. Thinking it through."

"Well…that's just kind of…how I think, I guess. We haven't made any plans though."

Calli sighed, exasperated. "Don't you understand? _You_ have been planning…in your head."

"Ok," Jasper said slowly, clearly confused.

"In your head," Calli said pointedly. She looked around the room. Everyone stared at her, oblivious to what she was trying to get across. But most of them appeared to be slightly dazed.

"Please stop staring!" she exclaimed. "Let me say this slowly…_in his head_…where Samuel can see," she finished quietly.

"I…he saw…" Jasper began.

"Who cares?" Emmett interjected. "He knows we want to kill him."

"This is an actual plan. One that he thinks we're serious about."

"Ok, what the hell are we talking about here?" Jacob finally spoke up. "What plan?"

"I…after that first night we saw Samuel, we were talking about what we could do. I brought up that maybe after Calli's ascension…if she were powerful enough, if she could block him, and the pack was there, that maybe they could kill him. If she were able to block him you guys should have no problem taking him out. But it's not like we made plans," Jasper explained.

Jacob looked thoughtful for a minute before responding. "That's perfect!" he said excitedly. He looked over at Calli. "You know you're stronger than him now. You can block him. With all of us there, he doesn't stand a chance!"

He looked over at Sam. "We could, couldn't we?"

"He was on our land," Sam said firmly. "I want to get this guy."

"With just a little strategy, we can't fail," Jasper added.

"Hang on just a minute," Carlisle said. "This may not even be a problem. If Samuel knows you're stronger Calli, will he even come after you? He will most likely leave."

"You guys are not getting what I'm saying," Calli said, frustrated. She stood up and looked at Jasper. "He thinks you were planning. He thinks it was serious."

"It is serious!" Emmett said. "We know we can take him out now. It's him against you, and you're stronger."

She looked at Emmett. "He saw a war in Jasper's head. And now…he wants one."

"So we'll give him one!"

Calli smiled grimly. "And you think he doesn't have any plans? That he hasn't thought of anything himself? Samuel's not as stupid as you seem to be making him out to be."

"What can he do? It's him against you. He can't _make _himself more powerful," Emmett scoffed.

"No…he can't make himself more powerful. But he can make others."

"Make others what?"

"Me against him, maybe I can beat him. Maybe I won't totally lose myself, fall into some deep dark hole and never be able to crawl out."

"Calli, it's not…" Jacob began.

"But how about me against twenty?" she interrupted.

"Twenty?"

Calli looked over at Jasper. "You wanted a war. Now he wants one too. You don't think he's going to make sure he has his own army?"

"Calli, are you saying…?" Carlisle trailed off, looking at her meaningfully.

She looked at him grimly. "He'll start changing them soon."

Jacob jumped up and stood in front of her. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. He's all about games. He's never had a game like this. Now he wants to play. We could do nothing…and he's still going to do something."

"I…when did you hear this?"

"Just now…outside. I can connect to him. It's just not…the hold it was before."

Carlisle took a deep breath. "If you knew this…why didn't you kill him?"

Calli cringed slightly. Jacob wrapped an arm around her.

"I….when I was out there…I could feel myself losing control…I could feel myself becoming like him. If I had…killed him…I know I would have gone over the edge. I don't really expect you all to understand any of this. You can't…it's all really just feelings, ones that you guys can't feel. But you do need to understand this…I'm teetering on an edge right now. If…if I go over that edge…there's no coming back."

She looked up into Jacob's face before looking around the rest of the room. "I have to try and…develop it. I need to try and see how far my powers go. And at the same time I have to hold myself back. I have to stay behind these limits…limits you can't see, but that I can feel. Please, please understand that I could become exactly like him."

Jacob went to speak, but she put her hand over his lips. "I can," she said softly. "It took everything I had in me to keep myself…together out there. Did I really look like the same person? Did I?" She moved her hand. Jacob didn't respond.

"I can't stress to you how easy it could be for me to lose it. It's a struggle. I think it will get easier, if I develop it…but at the same time I have to be careful _while_ I'm developing it. And if I lose it…I'll be even more dangerous than he is."

"Calli," Esme began softly. "I can't imagine you could ever be a danger to anyone, especially us."

Calli looked at her and sighed. "I wish I could say the same. I wish there were some way to make you see how I feel…what I feel. My powers…aren't what they were before. That was just a tiny amount of what they are now."

"But how do you know that if you haven't even used anything yet? I mean…maybe it's not like that," Emmett said pointedly.

Calli sighed in frustration. Then an almost determined look came over her face. She looked at Emmett carefully. She focused on him, and suddenly her eyes turned pitch black.

"Calli…" Carlisle began slowly, in a worried tone.

"Whoa! What the…where the hell am I?" Emmett sputtered.

Everyone looked over at Emmett. He was looking around in awe at the living room. All of them stared at him in confusion.

"You're…controlling his mind," Edward breathed.

"What are you talking about? What's going on?" Rosalie demanded.

"Emmett thinks he's on a beach in Maui. That's what he's seeing right now."

"That's ridiculous, he's right…"

"She's right," Emmett said breathlessly. "I'm…on a beach."

"What…you're doing that in his mind? I want to see!" Alice said hurriedly.

Calli smiled. "Alright."

Calli closed her eyes, focusing hard. When she opened her eyes she was standing on a beach at sunset. And everyone stood around her. Jacob still held to her tightly.

Carlisle took a few steps, looking around with a shocked expression. Then he looked quickly toward Jacob. His eyes moved slowly to Sam.

"Oh my," Esme gasped.

"Whoa," Alice breathed.

"This…is not our minds," Edward said softly.

"Calli," Carlisle began slowly. "Your…powers…they're working on Sam and Jacob."

Sam stopped looking around suddenly. His face took on a look of shock. "How is that…I thought they wouldn't work on us!"

"This is…" Billy trailed off.

"My powers don't work on you. I'm not doing anything to you. I'm doing something to the room. We're all standing in the living room right now. When I did it to only Emmett, I was controlling his mind, putting an image there. Now I'm controlling the atmosphere. It has nothing to do with your mind. I don't need to touch your mind to affect your surroundings."

Calli closed her eyes again and opened them quickly. Everyone looked around the living room, their eyes wide.

They stood there for a few minutes composing themselves. Jacob looked down at Calli. She looked up and met his gaze warily.

Carlisle finally cleared his throat. "Calli…was that…difficult for you? Did you feel like you might lose control?"

Calli turned her eyes to meet his. "I could feel it. But it wasn't…very difficult. It will be worse if I'm doing something…violent, I guess. Or something with bad intentions, I guess you could say. Or if I'm upset. Out there, I was…hurting Samuel. So it was stronger."

"That was unbelievable," Emmett said breathlessly.

"How…far does this go?" Carlisle asked.

"I have no idea," Calli sighed.

"Mind control," Edward murmured.

Everyone was silent for a few minutes. Calli wouldn't meet Jacob's gaze.

"He wants this fight now Carlisle," she finally spoke up. "What…what am I supposed to do? Should I go find him now, try to…"

"No," Jacob interrupted firmly.

"He needs to be…"

"Jacob is right Calli. Even if you were going to go find him…which you're not," Carlisle added when Jacob glared at him, "now would most certainly not be the right time."

"So what do I do?"

"We. Not you…we," Jacob said.

"Right now, I'm not sure we should do anything. If you need to try and…develop this, maybe you should try and focus on that now. How long…do you know when he'll try and do something?"

"Not exactly…but I don't think it will be for awhile. He'll need…time. But if we just sit here and give him time…I don't even know if I could beat just him. But with more there…I can't fight an army."

"You won't be fighting alone," Jasper said.

"They will all be half breeds. They will all have powers. My whole point in the fight you were thinking about was to block Samuel. If I can't block them all they would be using their powers on you."

"We have a large pack," Sam spoke up. "Your kind is much easier to tear apart than the normal vampire. I think we would be able to take them regardless."

"Would any of them have the kind of power you do?" Carlisle asked.

"No. Not like me. Probably not even like Samuel. But that doesn't mean they're not dangerous."

"What if you turned…" Emmett began.

"Not an option," Calli said firmly.

"Isn't there a chance that this won't even happen? Especially after tonight?" Esme asked.

"Small, and unlikely. This is exactly the kind of thing he loves. I doubt he'd pass it up."

"I think…that this is something we will have to take as it comes," Carlisle said quietly.

"You guys can't do anything about this," Calli said in a frustrated tone.

"Well you're not doing anything alone," Jacob said authoritatively.

"We will take it as it comes."


	58. Chapter 57 Different

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- Ok, unfortunately I've been so busy doing five million things that I have no longer been able to answer the reviews I'm receiving, I want to let you all know that I appreciate your reviews SO much, and I'm sorry I haven't been able to respond to you all. The little bit of time I've been getting lately I've been trying to use to write, so...but I do want to address a few things on this a/n that I've been seeing in a lot of reviews and pm's I've been getting.**

**A few people have told me that they feel Calli's character has gotten a little lost, one described that she wasn't very spunky anymore, and to this I say...YES! I did this intentionally. When Calli first came into my story, even though she was changed, she was still essentially just a teenager. Then she began being hit with many things at once, ie Samuel, her feelings for Jacob, the reality of what had happened to her, etc. This is how I feel her character would evolve.**

**I've also had people tell me that Jacob just isn't the same as he was in the series. In my mind Jacob would change drastically not only after everything that happened with Bella, but also after imprinting. So for me he's not the same, and I don't write him the same.**

**There was also some confusion as to Calli's father...Samuel is NOT her father...he cannot have children, neither can Calli.**

**And one reviewer, she knows who she is, picked up on the parallel of Calli being out coinciding with Romeo and Juliet, which was something in my head from the very beginning of the story...remember how much Calli hates it.**

**Thanks so much for your reviews you guys, I hope this answers some questions. I know some of you feel the story and characters aren't quite as fun loving as they once were, but this story was always taking a bit of a dark turn so...sorry, I just write how it plays out in my head!**

* * *

"Where's Calli?" Jacob asked hurriedly as he closed the door behind him.

"She went up to her room. I think she needed to get away from everyone," Carlisle responded. "I think she feels a little strange with all the…changes that have taken place. I guess we were probably staring a lot."

"There's an understatement," he muttered under his breath. "Well, Sam's going to call a pack meeting tonight," he spoke up. "He wants everyone to be prepared for what could happen."

Carlisle nodded. "That's probably for the best. Sometime soon we may…all want to meet. We will all be out there together."

"We talked about that. We thought it would be a good idea too."

He was silent for a minute, looking up the stairs. "She's different. A lot different"

Jacob sighed. "Yeah, she is."

"It almost feels like years went by, not days. I knew…well, that her turning would force her to grow up a lot. But this…" He trailed off. "Not just the physical, not just the draw…she was forced to get to a point that many people are given a long time to reach, in such a short time."

"I'm gonna go up and see her." He began walking up the stairs.

"Jacob?"

He turned and looked at Carlisle.

"If she's…different with you…well, just don't take it personally. I think a lot has changed for her. Probably more than we will ever know."

Jacob nodded grimly, and continued up the stairs.

When he walked past the bathroom he heard the shower running, and wasn't surprised to find Calli's room empty. He walked over to the window and took a deep breath, looking outside absently for a long time.

He went through everything that had happened, recalled everything he had felt. Things were so intense; he wasn't sure what to think or how to feel about it all.

He felt it as soon as she walked in the door. That charge went through the air immediately, hitting him hard. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The more he felt the energy, the less it upset him. It was an amazing feeling, like some kind of unsaid connection was linking them.

"You seem upset," she said softly from behind him.

He turned quickly to look at her. She stood there in shorts and a t shirt, looking at him carefully. As soon as his eyes fell on her he took a deep breath almost involuntarily. So much was pulsing through him

He gave her a small smile. "Not upset. Just thinking."

"About what?"

"Everything." His smile widened. "You. You're usually what I'm thinking about. These…feelings…they are so damn intense. Are they that way for you…I mean, do you just feel like you might…"

"Burst right out of my skin?" she supplied.

He chuckled softly. "It's very…I mean, it's new, and kind of scary, but it's also kind of…" He trailed of, trying to find the right words.

"Believe me, I know."

They were both silent for a minute.

"You look pretty thoughtful too. What are you thinking about?"

She smiled wryly. "Could I get away with saying nothing?"

"Not a chance."

She sighed heavily and walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge. "Of course I'm thinking about this…what is happening between us. It's just so…I mean…I always…felt something when I looked at you. When I touched you. But now…it's just so much more. My mind is trying so hard to figure it out, and I'm coming up with nothing." She looked thoughtful for a moment before continuing.

"There's also…well…I'm just….I feel like it's going to come out like whining but…I'm just wondering when this is all going to stop. When things will just…stop flying at us, and we can have a normal life…well, as normal as we can have I guess. It just feels like everything keeps coming one after another after another. I mean…it has to stop eventually…doesn't it? It can't keep on like this forever, with so much to…deal with…can it?"

He came and sat next to her. The closer they were, the more intense the energy became, and he felt tingly all over. He took a slow breath to calm his accelerated heart. "Yes. Eventually, it will stop."

"But not soon," she said quietly.

"Probably not," he agreed.

He looked at her carefully. She kept staring at the wall, looking completely lost in thought.

He finally cleared his throat. "Does…everything feel different?" he asked hesitantly.

He knew that she could feel what he felt. But he also knew that so much had changed for her. He had no idea how much.

She finally pulled her eyes from the wall and stared into his. She opened her mouth to answer, but then a look of almost comprehension came over her face, and she quickly shut it.

She reached out and wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling his face to hers. When she kissed him her lips moved anxiously against his. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, kissing her roughly.

It felt like his blood was boiling underneath his skin. Every part of him wanted to pull her close, keep her there forever. His entire body responded to her. The energy that he could feel, the charge, seemed to rush through him so quickly, so completely. His head began to swim and he felt like he was just losing himself in her.

When she finally pulled back she kept her lips still close to his, breathing quickly. She took a moment to compose herself before she spoke.

"The way I feel about you will never change Jacob," she said softly right next to his lips.

He shuddered when her breath hit him. Everything from her, every feeling, every touch, seemed so greatly intensified. It was starting to drive him crazy. Each time he felt the energy it seemed to get stronger, and he felt everything in him responding to it, to her.

"If anything…I feel like I need you more," she went on. "Like I never want to let go. I feel like if I do…I'll just fall. I've always had this…connection to you. But now…it's just this…huge, amazing thing. I feel so completely…with you…I don't even know how to explain it…how to put it into words."

He pulled her over and sat her on his lap. "You don't need to let go. There will never be a reason too," he murmured.

"Good, because I can't."

He kissed her again, lying back on the bed and pulling her with him. She pressed her body close to his and wound her fingers in his hair.

As soon as she felt her body press against his the jolts shot through him violently, and he found himself gripping her for dear life. He felt like if he ever let her go he would just die, like everything in him needed her there, close to him, touching him, connecting with him.

He rolled fluidly so he was on top of her. Her fingers tightened in his hair and he kissed her harder, one hand going around her neck to pull her lips closer to his, the other going down around to the small of her back.

When he broke the kiss her head dropped back and she groaned, keeping her eyes closed and breathing heavily. He lay down on the bed next to her and took a few deep breaths, his heart racing violently.

"This is going to be…difficult," she muttered darkly.

"That has got to be the understatement of the century."

She finally propped up onto one arm and looked down at him. He smiled at her, reaching up to touch her face softly. He felt the immediate result of their touch rush through him, and he sighed softly.

"You drive me insane, you know that?" she said with a smile. "As if it wasn't bad enough before…now it's like…every time you touch me, I just feel…"

He shook his head. "I've got nine days to make up for…I'm not even close to finished," he replied wickedly, his heart still racing.

She fell back to the bed and groaned loudly. After a moment she propped back up to look at him. He did the same.

"You look like you want to say something," he said quietly.

"Mmm, well…you know…we've never really…I mean…" She rolled her eyes as she stopped stammering. "Ugh. I hate when I can't get my words out."

He just looked at her expectantly, raising an eyebrow.

"We've never really…discussed…our uh…"

He chuckled quietly and she just glared at him. "Sorry," he said with a big smile. "I just don't think you've ever had this much trouble saying something before."

"Fine then. We've never really discussed our relationship…moving forward…physically." She fell down to the bed again. "Ugh! Did that sound as stupid as it did in my head?"

Jacob started laughing hysterically, falling down to the bed himself.

Calli sat up quickly and glared at him. "That was not meant to be funny!" she fumed.

Jacob waved his hand and tried to compose himself. "I'm…I'm sorry," he managed to get out between laughs. "Your…your face…when you…it was just really…" He trailed off, laughing hard still, trying to avoid her angry gaze, knowing he would just get lost in her all over again.

She went to hit him on his chest and he grabbed her hand, pulling her body to his again. He felt her body stiffen against his and she let out a tiny gasp. "You're cute when you're mad," he chuckled.

"You are…"

He pressed his lips to hers, cutting her off. She tried pushing herself away but he held her tightly. It didn't take long for her to relax into him.

The second time she tried to pull away he let her, keeping her body close to his.

"You can't stay mad at me well, remember?" he murmured, trailing his fingers along her neck. He felt her shudder under his touch and the intensity he felt from it made him want to shudder right along with her.

"Not when you do that…cheater," she muttered, slightly breathless.

She shifted over so she was back on her side, her head propped up on her arm. He did the same.

He cleared his throat before speaking, once he had calmed himself down as much as he could. "I always…kind of assumed that you wanted to wait…until you were married."

She sighed. "I do…usually…most of the time." A mischievous grin came to her face. "Now is not one of those times. Now is definitely not one of those times. And if this is how it's going to be I have a feeling there will be many many many more times like this one. I just…we never talked about it. And I didn't…or I don't know what you…think."

He grinned at her. "I do too. Usually. But you make it…difficult. This whole…whatever this is…it was already difficult, practically impossible before. But now…"

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "If things keep going like this we'll have to get married tomorrow."

"That doesn't sound so bad," he said suggestively, raising an eyebrow.

"Except I would never even get a chance to enjoy it…Alice would murder me."

"I guess we should probably start planning," he murmured thoughtfully.

"Ugh. If Alice was that psycho on prom night…it scares me to think what she might be like with wedding plans. I've heard stories from Bella."

He reached out and took her hand. He was beginning to surmise that he would feel the same thing every time he touched her…it didn't seem to be decreasing in the slightest. "You haven't really had much time to think about a wedding but…do you have any idea…what you want, how you want it to be?"

"Small. Very small. I'm talking, like, family and very close friends."

"So no big fancy wedding, huh?"

"No way. I'm tempted to just elope."

"We could you know," he said seriously. "I could care less how we get married. I just want to marry you. And all things considered…well…it may be…somewhat necessary to speed things along."

She smiled almost seductively at him, and it took everything he had to stay in place. "I know." She sighed. "But, when I look back, like, twenty years from now I'll probably want pictures and memories and all that stuff."

"I guess you'll just have to endure the wrath of Alice then," he said, grinning.

"That's not the only wrath I'll be enduring." She stared at him intently. His head began swimming with just her gaze locked on him.

"Ugh!" she cried. "This is going to kill me!" She threw herself back on the bed, her arm going over her eyes. "What the hell is this?" she muttered.

"I might actually be complaining if it weren't so…enjoyable," he said in a low, husky voice.

"Don't you start talking like that!" she said in a shaky voice, her arm staying over her eyes. "That…tone…that is not going to make things anything easier."

He just laughed.

They were both silent for a few minutes. Eventually Calli propped back up and just stared into Jacob's eyes. He made no move, made no sound, just enjoyed the fact that he was lying here, staring at him. After they had laid there for awhile he finally spoke up.

"You know, in your dream, you were talking to yourself again."

"I still don't remember."

"In the dream she said that she belonged to you now, not Samuel. Can you…feel that?"

She hesitated before answering. "Yeah, I can."

"Is it a lot different?"

She sighed. "When I first started having those dreams where he told me I belonged to him…I didn't know what he meant really, but I could feel that it was…true somehow. And then that first time we saw him, in the clearing…I could actually feel that there was some part of me that wasn't really there anymore, kind of. It was his, and he had it. That feeling isn't there anymore."

He smiled. "So you're whole again."

"Yes. But…I don't know if that's such a good thing."

He frowned. "Why?"

She sighed again. "This is going to be really hard to explain. I think…that most of the people Samuel changed that did terrible things didn't do them because they wanted to…they did it because that part of them that belonged to him _made_ them do it. He controlled that part, and he made those things happen. He doesn't control that part of me anymore…but I know that that is the part of me that feels like it could…lose control…like it wants to. So even though he's not controlling that part of me…it's like he changed it somehow. Made it different. And even though I have it back…it's still different."

"How hard is it? To stay in control?"

"Hard. It feels like I…really really don't want to be in control." She paused, and her face looked thoughtful for a moment. "But, actually…you make it easier. When I was out there, with Samuel…I could feel myself just…I was different. I could feel it. And I felt like I just didn't…care maybe. But when I turned and looked at you…it was just so much easier. I just felt…like myself again. Like you…brought me back maybe."

He leaned over and kissed her gently. "I told you I would bring you back," he said softly. "I'll always bring you back. I guess I'll just have to be around all the time."

"Good idea," she whispered before kissing him again.


	59. Chapter 58 Practice

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- Ok, so I've been trying to use the a/n to answer some questions I've seen repeated since I haven't been able to answer everyone, so here are a couple more.**

**A lot of people have sommented that I've never done a hunting scene with Calli. That's not something I feel I would be able to write well, so I've only hinted at it...yes, she hunts, but it's something I've chosen not to write out. However, there will be some biting coming soon...hint hint...**

**A lot of people have also asked if I'm a dancer and singer like Calli. While I've been singing my whole life, sadly I'm not a dancer. I tried to be as thorough as I could in describing Calli' critique and knowledge of dancing, as well as the competition...but really I have no idea what I'm talking about.**

**Now, I want to say a big thank you to those who have been reading and reviewing. I appreciate it so much...this story is incredibly long, and I still have a bit to go. Sadly, I think the interest has been waning...last chapter had over a hundred and fifty hits...but zero reviews, which is a first. Therefore, I'm going to start focusing more of my time on my other story, as well as new stories I would like to beging writing. I will still be updating this one, but not as often.**

**Hope you like the chapter!**

* * *

"Have you opened your mind…to look for him, to try and see him?"

"A few times. Usually I can get in. There have been a few times when he's been able to keep me out. But…" she hesitated, looking at Carlisle warily.

"What? What is it?"

"My mind is still…basically the same. I have to open it to…see anything. But when I open it…I can see a lot…a lot more than I could before."

"What are you seeing?" Carlisle asked.

"Well, to start with, when I open it I kind of get…bombarded with the thoughts of people around me. Usually…all of you. Thoughts, images…" She closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. "We won't go there. It's like…when I open it, I can't just focus it on one person anymore…everything hits me. And…I'm having…visions."

"Visions!" Alice exclaimed. "Like my visions?"

"No, not exactly like yours. Just like with the thoughts…they all hit me at once. I can see a lot of things at once. I can't even sort through them too clearly. And it's not just visions of you guys, or even just of people I know. It's stuff that's going to happen to…lots of people. I probably have to develop that too. But I really don't want to."

"Why not?" Esme asked gently.

"I am having visions of tons of people. And some of them…some bad things are happening. I can't…I can't stop all those things from happening. Maybe I could stop some of them. But eventually it would make people suspicious of me I'm sure. And it feels like…like if I see them, and I don't stop them…like I'm doing something wrong."

"It's not your responsibility to stop these things Calli," Carlisle said softly.

"If I see them and I don't stop them…what does that make me?"

"Oh Calli," Alice sighed. "You'll never be able to stop everything you see from happening."

"I see people dying…people I don't even know. I see car accidents, murders, attacks. That's why I've been trying not to open my mind very much. I know I can't just…go and save the whole world. But if I see those things, I want to stop them. I can't just see them and do nothing."

"I think we need to start putting a lot of effort into developing these powers."

"I know," Calli said in a frustrated tone. "I've been…putting it off, I guess."

"How do you think you can develop them?" Carlisle questioned.

"Practice, I guess. Like before. Only this time…I just have to be really careful."

"Ok, so then…I guess you start…practicing today."

Calli looked around at everyone. They all stared at her expectantly.

"If we're going to do this maybe we should go outside. I don't want to…break stuff…or something like that."

They all walked outside, Jacob holding Calli's hand firmly. When they got outside everyone stood near the edge of the lawn. Calli and Jacob walked to the middle.

They stopped, and she turned and hugged him tightly.

"Watch me carefully," she murmured to him. "If…something starts to look…off…you have to stop me."

He pulled away and looked down at her. "Stop you how?"

She eyed him carefully. "Knock me down, knock me out…do something."

"I'm not going to…"

"You are probably the only one of them that can stop me. Physically I can't do anything to you. I'm going to try. But if something goes wrong…do something." Her eyes pleaded with his.

He looked at her for a long time before he swallowed hard, nodding. "Ok." He leaned down and kissed her before walking away toward where everyone else was standing.

She stood there for a long time looking toward the trees before she turned and looked at everyone.

"I don't really know what to do," she directed at Carlisle.

"Alright," Carlisle said slowly. "Well…try focusing on me. Put images in my mind, like you did with Emmett."

She swallowed hard and nodded. She looked at Carlisle carefully, her gaze focusing on him. Her eyes went black.

"Where…where am I Calli?" Carlisle finally asked, his voice slightly amazed.

"The beach in La Push…right?"

"I'm on a beach. Alright. See if you can…control someone else's mind with the same image…try and put someone else here with me."

"I…don't know if I can concentrate on someone else at the same time."

"Go slowly. Take your time."

Calli kept her gaze on Carlisle, her eyes still black, for a few moments before she moved it over to Esme.

"You're still there?" Calli asked.

"Yes," Carlisle responded.

"Is it alright Esme?"

Esme nodded at her. Calli began concentrating on her, and soon Esme was looking around in wonder.

"This is…amazing Calli," Esme murmured.

"Can you two see each other?" Calli asked.

"Yes," they answered simultaneously.

"Alright Calli, you can stop now."

Calli's head lowered. When she raised it again her eyes were once again green. Carlisle and Esme looked around at the lawn once again.

"My turn," Emmett said enthusiastically.

"You can be her next subject then Emmett. Calli, this time try and…control Emmett's thoughts in a different way. Try and…suggest something to him. Something he wouldn't do on his own."

Calli looked at him questioningly. "Like what?"

"I don't know. I want to see if you can actually control him…if you can make him do something…against his own will."

"You could have a lot of fun with that Calli," Jasper said, smiling.

A wicked grin came across Calli's face. She focused on Emmett.

She stared at him for a long time. He stared back, and after a few moments his eyes began to glaze over. He looked slack jawed, and stared at her with a blank gaze. "Emmett…go propose to Jasper," she said firmly.

Emmett's didn't even hesitate before walking toward Jasper.

"Whoa, what wait a…" Jasper began, holding his hands up and backing away.

"Don't move Jasper," she commanded. Jasper wasn't looking at her, but as soon as she spoke his eyes darted to hers. They too became glazed over and he stopped moving. "When Emmett asks you to marry him…say yes." Jasper continued to stare forward blankly.

"This…is awesome," Edward said laughingly, watching Emmett advance and stop in front of Jasper.

Everyone's eyes were glued to the two of them. Alice held her hand over her mouth, laughing quietly.

"He won't," Rosalie said quietly, staring after Emmett.

When Emmett reached Jasper he went down slowly to one knee. His stare remained blank and his movements seemed labored.

"Will you marry me?" he asked in a monotone voice.

"Oh my gosh!" Alice burst into laughter, along with most everyone else. Calli watched with a big smile on her face, still concentrating on the two of them.

"Yes," Jasper answered in his own flat tone.

"You could…take it further," Edward said pointedly.

"Uh…I don't think so," Rosalie spoke up, staring at Emmett with wide eyes.

"Alright Calli…break your…hold on them," Carlisle said with a small chuckle.

"What the…Calli!" Emmett said furiously, standing up and whirling around to look at her. "Did I…did I seriously…"

"So when's the big day?" Edward asked mockingly.

Emmett growled loudly, moving in his direction.

Calli held up her hand and Emmett froze in place.

"Don't hurt him Emmett," she said laughingly.

"I said yes, didn't I?" Jasper said, his voice sounding dazed.

"Is this something I should be worried about?" Alice asked, grinning.

"Emmett, stop looking so mad. If she had done it to anyone else you would be laughing too," Bella said.

Calli's face took on a strange look, and then she swayed slightly, putting her head in her hands and groaning.

"Calli!" Jacob said, running to her. He put his hands on her shoulders. "What is it…what's wrong?"

"I…it…it drains me," she said softly, looking up at him. She stared at him for a moment before turning her gaze to Carlisle. "Using my powers is draining me."

Carlisle gave her a puzzled look. "Did it ever do this before?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"Do you want to stop?" Jacob asked quietly.

"I…no. I think I'll be ok."

"Are you sure?" Carlisle asked worriedly.

"I'm sure. I want to keep going."

"Do you…feel like you might lose control?"

"I can always feel it there. But it's not…bad."

"Alright. I want you to…try and open your mind. See if you can _only_ focus on one mind."

Calli took a deep breath. "Ok."

Jacob squeezed her shoulders and stepped back slightly, staying close to her.

She turned and focused on Carlisle. Her eyes blackened once again.

"I…damnit," she muttered. "It's…it's not working. I'm getting…everything. I…Emmett seriously! Find a new train of thought! Jeez…"

"Now you know how I feel," Edward muttered darkly.

"Calli, focus on my mind."

"I can't! When I open up I get everything. It's just…" She trailed off, cocking her head to the side.

"Calli?" Jacob asked.

She remained silent, her expression quickly changing from confusion to shock. "Oh!" she finally said loudly. "Stay here!" she yelled, and disappeared from sight.

"Calli!" Jacob yelled, running after her.

She ran quickly through the trees, but Jacob kept fairly close. When she finally came to a stop she was on the side of the highway. Jacob came to her side.

"What are you…"

But before he could finish he heard tires screeching loudly. He looked up and saw a car traveling the wrong direction in a lane. It was hurtling forward fast...right toward the police cruiser.

The front of the cars hit, making a loud sound. Calli put up her hand and concentrated. The cars froze in place.

Jacob just stared on in amazement before saying anything. "That's…that's Charlie," he sputtered

"Come on, we need to get out of here," Calli said hurriedly, tugging on his hand.

"I need to see if…"

"They're both fine. If they see us things won't be though. Come on."

They ran back to the house.

"What the hell just happened Calli?!" Carlisle demanded when they came into view.

"I…saw a car crash. It was close. I went to…"

"Did they see you?" Carlisle demanded.

"No one saw me."

"Calli you cannot…"

"It was Charlie," Jacob spoke up, looking at Bella.

"Charlie! Oh…no. What happened? Where is he? Is he…" Bella's voice was panicked, her eyes wide.

"He's fine," Calli interrupted. "I got there in time."

"What happened?" Edward asked.

"Some drunk swerved into the wrong lane. They're both fine."

"I'm going to go call him," Bella said worriedly, running toward the house. Edward followed her.

Carlisle came and stood in front of Calli. "You're…going to have to learn to try and control this. There may be some things you could stop. But you won't be able to do that every time. Thank goodness you were able to in this case."

"I don't know how," she said, frustrated. "It just…all hits me. I can focus in on one, kind of. But I can't make the other stuff go away. It's just…" She trailed off suddenly, her eyes looking blank and her body swaying.

Jacob grabbed her tightly. "You need to stop for now Calli."

She leaned into him and nodded. "He's right. I'm…drained. I feel like…like all my strength is leaving me or something. Why is this happening? How is this happening?"

"I don't know. There should be no reason for you to feel anything like this physically."

She shook her head slightly. "It's not exactly physical. I don't know exactly how to explain it, but it's like I'm mentally drained, and I'm just having some sort of…physical response to that."

Carlisle looked thoughtful for a moment before responding. "I don't know. I guess this is something we will have to try and…work on figuring out."

"Come on." Jacob pulled Calli along into the house. When they got there they found Edward and Bella sitting on the couch. Bella looked absently at the wall while Edward rubbed her back lightly.

When she saw Calli walk in she jumped up. "I talked to Charlie. He said…he has no idea how he walked away from that accident. He said they were just coming at each other really fast, and then they both suddenly just stopped."

Calli nodded weakly.

"I…thank you Calli." Bella's voice wavered.

She smiled at her. "I'm glad he's ok."

She and Jacob walked upstairs slowly. When they got to her room she went straight to the bed and collapsed into it.

Jacob lay next to her and wrapped his arm tightly around her waist. "Are you ok?" he asked gently.

"I…I hate this. In just that couple of minutes…that accident wasn't…all I saw. I hate this."

"I know," he murmured close to her ear, stroking her hair. "I know."


	60. Chapter 59 Bringing Me Back

_**Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series.**_

**A/N- I think I have the best reviewers in the world. You guys are awesome. Thanks so much...I love hearing what you think.**

**As per the last couple chapters, I'll address a few frequently seen things here in the author's note. A few people have mentioned that they don't feel characters such as Edward, Bella, Alice, and so on are seen enough. For me, this story is about Jacob and Calli, and the other's are just background characters. So I write them in as necessary. **

**I've also been told that the more intimate scenes between Jacob and Calli have become repetitive. I love writing them, and will continue to keep this story as a 'T' rating, therefore, they will probably remain repetitive when they are seen.**

**I try to consider everyone's suggestions carefully, and want to thank you all for telling me how you think the story could be better.**

**Hope you enjoy the chapter, and thanks so much for your feedback!**

_

* * *

_

Man, you do realize you're sharing those thoughts of her with us, right? Embry thought. Jacob could hear the smile in his voice. 

_Sorry,_ Jacob replied. They were out patrolling. There was always a group out on patrol now. He and Embry had split up to try and cover more ground.

_Just don't get pissed at me if you see those thoughts running through my head._

Jacob growled. _I can have those thoughts…you can't._

_Your fault, not mine._ _And your thoughts are…pretty damn graphic._

_Yeah well…can't really help it. Especially with whatever the hell has been going on since she…her birthday. It's like it takes me over or something. All I think about is her. And not just like I did before…this is…I don't know._

_Believe me, we know. I'm sure you're feeling a hell of a lot more than we can see…and what we see is plenty._

_Hey!_ Jacob growled._ Don't even…_

_Your thoughts are in my head…You're just gonna have to…_

Embry's thoughts trailed off for a few moments. But Jacob saw the image in his mind.

_Shit! Jake…_

_Is he still there? Hang on. _Jacob saw the brief glimpse of Samuel that Embry had gotten. It only took him a couple minutes to reach the area Embry was covering.

_What happened? Where did he go?_

_I only saw him for a second…he disappeared pretty quick._

_Damnit…Calli. I need to go check on her. Go tell Sam, have him get everyone he can to go through the area..._

_Alright. I'll see ya._

Jacob ran full speed to the house. When he got there he checked the area around it, but found nothing. He ran into the trees, phasing back quickly and grabbing the shorts around his leg. He threw them on and ran inside.

"Hello? Calli? Carlisle?"

He looked around downstairs, finding no one. He ran up the stairs and heard the shower running.

"Hello?" he called out again.

No one answered. Calli hadn't told him of any plans to go anywhere. He figured she must be the one in the shower. No one else seemed to be home.

He looked around the house one more time and then went to Calli's room to wait for her.

* * *

Calli stepped out of the shower and grabbed the huge towel. She ran it quickly through her hair and then wrapped it around herself. She looked to the counter for her clothes.

"Damnit," she muttered, realizing she hadn't brought any with her.

She walked to the door and opened it slowly. She listened for sounds, not hearing any. She opened her mind briefly to see if she could hear any of their thoughts. None came to her, and she knew they must all still be gone.

She made her way quickly down the hall and to her room. She always brought her clothes with her so she wouldn't be caught by anyone in a towel. Even though she knew there was no one there she still darted into her room, closing the door briskly behind her.

She felt is as soon as she began turning toward the bed, that unmistakable charge in the air, the energy that flowed through her whenever she was near him.

She gasped as she saw Jacob standing next to her bed, wearing nothing but a black pair of basketball shorts. She sucked in a huge breath and stared at him, his wide eyes moving up and down her. She felt her mind begin to cloud over as she focused on nothing but him, his dark skin so scarcely covered, his musky scent that filled the room, his eyes watching her so carefully. She swallowed hard.

They both stood there for a few moments, just staring at each other, saying nothing.

"I…I…what…" Calli stammered. Her voice came out high and anxious. "You're…not…wearing a shirt," she said breathlessly.

He stared at her for a long time before responding. The look in his eyes changed from shock to something else. "Neither are you," he muttered in a low voice.

Calli felt her whole body begin to tingle slightly, and she trembled. She looked slightly to his left, at the wall, away from him, his gaze, his body. "I thought you were out patrolling."

"I…Embry…saw Samuel. But he disappeared. I…came to check on you." He paused, and she looked back to see his expression had become slightly annoyed. "What are you doing walking around in a towel? Guys live in this house." He took a few steps toward her.

Her mind swayed momentarily from the fact that as he came closer the charge, the feelings, became stronger. "I forgot to bring my clothes in with me. And I checked to make sure no one was home before I came," she answered defensively.

Her eyes wandered up and down his frame. She knew she was being completely obvious, but she couldn't help just gawking at him. When her eyes finally came back up to his face she noticed him doing the same.

"Where…is everyone?" he finally asked throatily.

"Out," she said in a daze.

She felt herself tremble slightly as she looked over him. His abs, chest, and arms were muscular and chiseled. She never got tired of looking at him when he was fully dressed, but now, standing here in nothing but his shorts, she felt like she might burst. She sucked in another deep breath.

She saw him take a deep breath too. He slowly took a few more steps toward her then stopped suddenly, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Do you…want me to leave?" he asked in a pained voice. He kept his eyes closed for a few moments and, when he got no response, opened them to look at her.

She stared into his eyes for a moment before shaking her head no.

He groaned quietly then closed the distance between them, wrapping his arm tightly around her waist and yanking her body to his.

As soon as he touched her she felt the force of something so strong rush through her. There were no thoughts, no concerns, nothing but him. She felt every part of her body both ache and delight in response to his closeness. She pressed her head against his chest and took a long, deep breath. "So warm," she murmured shakily.

He ran his hands up her back and over her shoulders and she moaned softly, feeling a tingly sort of heat wherever he touched.

He closed his eyes. "You're killing me," he practically growled before he brought his hands up to her face, raising it to his. He leaned down and pressed his lips forcefully to hers.

She pressed her body as tight as she could against his and ran her hands up his chest and around his shoulders.

In a flash he reached down and picked her up. She gasped into his mouth and he kissed her harder, tightening his hold. He walked quickly to the bed and laid her down. She pulled him down with her and wrapped her arms securely around his back.

She ran her hands up and down his bare back and felt him tremble. Finally he pulled his lips from hers and looked down into her face, breathing heavily.

She kept her eyes closed for just a second before opening them and looking at him intently. She took a deep breath and ran her hands up along his shoulders and neck. He groaned quietly, closing his eyes. Her hands went down his back and rested on his waist.

He opened his eyes, breathing quickly, and stared into hers. He leaned down and brought his lips just inches from hers.

"You…are unbelievably beautiful," he murmured next to her lips before moving his mouth to her neck. He placed soft kisses along the base, moving up slowly.

She gasped quietly and her hands tightened on his back. She felt her whole body shake softly. Every inch of her seemed to be bursting with the energy, the intensity, she felt with him.

"And unbelievably sexy," he whispered against her neck.

She trembled, her body arching up slightly.

He kept kissing along her neck, reaching her ear. "And you're driving me crazy," he muttered in her ear.

Her hands came up and wound into his hair. "What are you doing to me," she said breathlessly. Every second he touched her things only seemed to increase, and she took a deep, jagged breath, trying to calm herself.

"Nothing worse than what you're doing to me," he murmured, moving his lips to the other side of her neck.

Her hands ran slowly down his back again and he groaned quietly. He kept kissing up and down her neck, then across her shoulder.

When he brought his lips close to hers she grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him frantically, weaving her hands into his hair. His hands went down to her waist and her body arched against his again. This time his arm snaked around her lower back and held her body close to his.

Her hands went down to his waist and held him firmly to her.

When he tore his lips away hers automatically went to his neck. He continued holding her tightly, his breath catching in his throat as she kissed along his neck. Her hands traveled up and down his back softly.

"I don't think you could possibly understand how badly I want you right now," he said in a low, breathless voice.

"Trust me, I do," she murmured against his neck. He trembled slightly.

She laid her head back on the bed and looked up at him. He laid down to the side of her, continuing to look into her eyes.

"Are you sure you don't want to elope?"

She smiled. "Don't ask me that right now. I'm not even sure if I ever want to leave this bed."

"Hey, that works for me too," he grinned, reaching over and running his hand across her shoulders.

"Mmmm," she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You have very amazing hands, you know that."

He was silent. She opened her eyes and looked over at him. He was just staring at her, still running his hand along. He finally stopped and closed his eyes. "If you don't put something besides that towel on…I don't think…my hands are going to be the problem."

She pulled herself up and brought her lips close to his. His eyes fluttered open and his breathing hitched.

"Maybe I don't care," she whispered.

He brought his hand up and trailed along her collarbone. "But you do," he murmured.

"Well I guess if you don't want me you'll have to push me away," she said playfully, giving him a small smile.

His arms wound around her tightly and he let out a low growl. "Trust me, that's not the problem."

She leaned down slowly and placed kisses along the top of his chest. "You should leave your shirt off more often," she muttered against his skin.

"If this keeps up you're not going to be wearing that towel much longer," he said in a shaky voice.

She lifted her head and sighed heavily. "If you insist."

He shook his head, looking into her eyes. She stared back, her eyes wide and anxious. He looked her up and down and then back into her eyes.

"A few more minutes," he growled, and smashed his lips against hers again.

Her hands tangled in his hair and he groaned, pulling away.

"I know, I know," she muttered.

"I'm going to go home and get some clothes," he said softly.

She swallowed hard and nodded. "Hurry back."

He kissed her one more time and then jumped up from the bed, leaving the room quickly.

* * *

"You'll have to keep doing it until you can get it under control Calli," Carlisle said firmly.

"It's not getting under control…at all!" she exclaimed. "It's not getting any better, no matter how much I practice…maybe this is just…how it is."

"Alright…can you live with that then?"

"No! I can't keep…getting all those images!"

Carlisle sighed. "Then you have to keep trying to practice. If you don't get this under control it will happen every time you open your mind."

Calli turned away and began pacing the room. Jacob went and put his hands on her shoulders, stopping her. She looked up at him and he gave her a small smile.

"Fine," she finally sighed.

"Concentrate on my mind only," Carlisle instructed. "Focus on me completely."

"I know the drill."

Calli looked at Carlisle carefully. Her eyes turned and she kept staring at him intently.

"Emmett!" she said harshly.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"It's not working…I…" She trailed off, her face turning hard.

"What's wrong?" Jacob asked hurriedly.

"What do you want?" she hissed.

"What?"

"Don't try and give me that bullshit…you think I can't see how you really feel?"

"What the…" Emmett began.

"I think it's Samuel," Edward spoke up.

"I don't care! It doesn't matter! And it doesn't change you a damned bit!"

"I thought he didn't…"

"Why don't you just come now so I can kill you and get it over with!" she spat angrily.

"Calli," Jacob said slowly.

The pictures on the wall began shaking and thunder sounded from outside.

"She needs to calm down!" Carlisle said harshly.

"I swear I will rip you to…" Calli began shouting.

"Calli!" Jacob said loudly, grabbing her shoulders.

Instantly her eyes returned to normal and she let out a loud breath. She looked up at Jacob, who stared at her carefully.

"Calli."

She looked over at Carlisle.

"You're not focusing only on me," he said. "You are looking for Samuel."

She let out a low, frustrated cry.

"What did he say?" Jacob demanded.

Calli paused before answering. "The…same things he always says. It's never any different."

"How did he even connect to you anyway? You said your connection to him is gone," Alice said pointedly.

"He doesn't have any control over me anymore. But Samuel's mind is very strong. He can connect to someone's mind from far away. Obviously he was trying to find me, and when I opened my mind he did."

The room was silent for a minute. Calli finally sighed. "Do you want me to try again?"

Carlisle looked thoughtful for a moment before responding. "Yes," he began slowly. "But we're going to…try something different this time. I'd like to see something. I want you to focus on Esme. Try and focus only on her, and do not let Samuel in."

Calli looked at him carefully before turning her eyes to Esme. She focused on her for a few minutes.

"Are you focusing Calli?"

"Yes."

"Are you hearing all the other thoughts?"

"Yes."

"Focus harder. Concentrate as hard as you can. Make sure you don't think of anything else."

A few minutes went by before he spoke again.

"What about now?"

"It's…they've faded. They're not completely gone…but they're quieter than Esme's thoughts…it's a little easier."

"Good…keep concentrating. I'm going to place my hands on your shoulders. Keep concentrating as hard as you can on Esme, but tell me if anything happens when I touch you."

Calli just nodded. Carlisle walked to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Anything?"

"No."

"Emmett, will you please walk over to Calli. Place your hands on her shoulders just as I did."

Emmett gave him a strange look, but Carlisle just nodded encouragingly. He walked to Calli and put both hands on her shoulders.

"Anything?" he questioned again.

"No," she said, exasperated. "What are you doing?"

"Just humor me." Carlisle walked over to Jacob. He waved him down and Jacob lowered his head. "Place your hands on Calli's shoulders," he whispered quietly to him. "Don't say anything…just touch her."

Jacob looked at him questioningly, but he just nodded. He walked over to Calli and placed his hands on her shoulders.

All the breath left her body in one big whoosh and her eyes changed back. She looked up at him in confusion.

"What happened when Jacob touched you Calli?"

"I got…pulled away somehow," she said quietly.

"You didn't pull yourself away? You didn't try and stop focusing?"

She shook her head.

"Do…something else," Carlisle said hurriedly. "Something besides working with someone's mind. Do something with the weather."

Calli just nodded and looked out the window. As soon as she started focusing her eyes went black. A clap of thunder sounded and rain began pouring down within seconds.

"Go ahead Jacob."

Once again as soon as he touched her shoulders her eyes went back to normal. She looked at Carlisle quizzically. "What does this mean?"

"I've been thinking a lot about your powers. Specifically the fact that you are starting to feel drained. I…don't have anything to go on here…it's all always just speculation. There's no research for me to look at, nothing for me to compare this to."

"Ok," Calli said slowly.

"But the more I see you use your power, the more I think what I've come up with may be true. Your powers…are used completely on a mental level. When you're trying to focus, you're using mental strength. The more mental strength you use, the less you have."

"It's being used the same way humans use physical strength. You're running out of it, and your mind seems to need to rest and recoup. Your body isn't tiring, your mind is. Yours more so than, say Samuel's, because he's been doing this longer. While you won't need to rest on a physical level, mentally you will need to give yourself rest, breaks."

He looked back and forth between Calli and Jacob. "What's happening between the two of you is not something I really feel I can explain. The only thing I can clearly see…is that Calli needs you Jacob. What you are doing, when she's focusing, when she's using her power, is bringing her back. You two keep telling me that you feel some kind of charge, some kind of energy between each other. And the only thing I can come up with there is that the two of you may be sharing energy somehow. It's not a logical or provable theory, but it's all I have."

"The explanation isn't really what's important. The important thing is that, Jacob, no matter what is happening, if Calli is losing herself, losing control…all it will take is _your_ touch. You're pulling her back, even against her own will. It's not something she's trying to make happen, or something you're even trying to make happen…but regardless it is."

He looked at Calli and smiled. "You will never lose yourself. Not with Jacob around."


	61. Chapter 60 One Bite

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stepehenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- There will be an author's note at the end to explain a little. You'll see why.**

* * *

"Calli!" she heard Alice call from downstairs. She ran the brush through her hair one last time before heading down.

"Is Jacob here yet?" she asked anxiously. She always felt on edge when he was out patrolling, knowing they were looking for Samuel. But ever since she had woken up she felt a physically pain when they were separated for any amount of time, even if it was mere minutes. She felt like every part of her needed him.

"Umm, no," Alice said sheepishly. She, Esme, Rosalie, and Bella were all waiting downstairs, looking at her carefully.

"He should be here by now," she mumbled.

"Actually…I believe he's probably with Carlisle right now," Esme offered. "He wanted to…talk to him."

"Ok," she said slowly. "So why didn't he just wait till he saw him here?"

"Well…we wanted to talk to you too…and…well…Carlisle wanted to make sure their discussion would be kept…private."

Calli eyed Esme carefully. "What is going on here?"

"Come sit down," Alice said quickly, tugging on her hand, pulling her toward the couch.

Calli sat down and looked around at them all. Esme looked slightly worried, Alice anxious. Rosalie seemed indifferent, while Bella looked uncomfortable, looking at her briefly and then away at the wall.

"Did something happen? What is it?"

"Everything's fine Calli," Esme said in a soothing voice. "We just wanted to…have a discussion with you."

"Now, before we start, I want you to know…that this could have been much worse," Alice rambled on. "_Carlisle_ was actually thinking about having this discussion with you."

"What discussion?" she asked carefully.

"Well…Calli…it's…obvious that you and Jacob are very close. You're planning to get married, and your…relationship…seems to be progressing towards…" Now Esme seemed to look a bit uncomfortable as she trailed off.

Calli looked at her through narrowed eyes before they widened in comprehension. She jumped up. "Are you kidding me?!" she screeched. "Is this a joke?"

"Calli, we just…" Alice began.

"Please tell me you are not seriously trying to have this…talk with me!"

"Calli, sit down," Alice said firmly. Calli looked around for a moment before she sat slowly.

"Now Calli…this is going to sound…well…it's probably going to make you kind of uncomfortable. But Jasper…well, he can't feel your feelings or emotions…but he can feel Jacob's. And he's told me that…well, they're getting…very…intense," Alice sputtered out.

"This cannot be happening," Calli moaned, putting her head in her hands. "Isn't this a human thing? Aren't I exempt from this rite of passage?"

"It is still something you will have to deal with," Esme said gently.

Calli's head darted up. "Oh no…please, please tell me this is not why Carlisle wanted to talk to Jacob." She looked mortified.

Alice grinned at her. "Would you rather he were here and we all talked about it together?"

"I would rather be dying some terrible death right now! This is…not a conversation that needs to be…had!"

"You and Jacob will be at that stage at some point…chances are it will be sooner rather than later," Esme said pointedly.

Calli put her head back into her hands. "This is not happening," she mumbled.

When she looked back up she directed her gaze at Bella. "Did they do this to you?" she demanded.

Bella sighed. "Sadly, yes."

"Ok, well look. I already know all the…stuff I need to know…"

"About humans," Alice interjected.

Calli's gaze quickly turned to her. "What, it's different?"

"It will be very different Calli," Esme said. "I don't know if…when you were…human, this ever came…"

"No!" Calli interrupted loudly.

"Alright," Esme continued. "Then I suppose you really have nothing to compare it to. But…as a vampire…considering Jacob is not…there are some…well, complications."

"What kind of complications?"

"Mainly…your venom. If it were to get into his system somehow, he would…turn."

Calli looked shocked. "I'm not going to bite him!"

"You don't necessarily have to bite him. Sometimes even kissing him…really kissing him…you could be…it could happen."

"That doesn't make any sense. I've…_really_…kissed Jacob, like, hundreds of times."

Esme looked at her carefully. "Calli…that…saliva is what you would refer to it as…that you feel in your mouth…that is venom."

"Yeah, but I'm not biting him."

"I…well, I would think that it…well, for instance…and I'm sorry if this may embarrass you Bella…but when Edward kisses Bella…well, he's always very careful that his…teeth don't come close to her. That his saliva does not mix with hers."

Calli watched Bella turn various shades of red. She shook her head. "Well…then I guess I have…not been very careful. And Jacob is still…Jacob."

Esme looked thoughtful for a minute. "Well…that…doesn't seem to be an issue…I suppose. There are still…other factors though."

"Ok, look…this is going in a…kind of scary direction. I know the basics of this stuff. I don't need a big in depth talk. I know how…stuff works. I know what you're supposed to do. This is not an issue right now…"

Alice went to interrupt, but Calli held up her hand to stop her. "It isn't something that is going to come up until _after_ we are married. And I'm pretty sure I can figure out what to do all by myself. Things have not changed that much. And besides, you guys only know how things are with humans, and vampires. And Jacob and I don't fit…neatly into either of those categories by themselves. So…I think this discussion should just…stop. Now."

Esme sighed. "You know that, if you need to…"

"I know," Calli said firmly. "Believe me, I know."

Just then the door opened. Carlisle and Jacob walked in.

As soon as Calli saw Jacob she fell back on the couch, groaning.

"I see you have had your discussion," Carlisle said gently.

"Please, just kill me now," Calli moaned.

"I'm sure Esme told you that I would be having a discussion with Jacob Calli," Carlisle continued.

"That would be where the me wanting to die comes in," she said sarcastically, still lying back on the couch.

Jacob came slowly and sat beside her, taking her hand, but she refused to look at him.

"Calli…I think your venom has no affect on Jacob."

Calli darted up and looked at Carlisle with a shocked expression. "I have never bitten Jacob!" she said vehemently.

"I had never discussed with you the danger of just your saliva before. It wasn't something we needed to discuss when you were first changed, and I guess I never thought much about it after you and Jacob began…seeing each other."

Calli rolled her eyes at his choice of words.

"I would be willing to guess it almost impossible that after…everything, some of your venom has never entered his system."

Calli finally looked up into Jacob's face. He smiled down at her.

When she turned back to Carlisle her face was angry. "You're telling me that this whole time I could have been…that I could have…why didn't you say this before! I could have turned him into…" she trailed off, looking furious.

"The point is that you didn't. Nothing has happened to Jacob. That makes me think, that hopefully…your venom just has no affect on him."

He looked at Jacob. "Which makes me believe that none of our venom would have any affect on you…or anyone in the pack."

"But you don't know that for sure…do you? I could still…"

"I don't know for sure. But after all this time…I believe it's true." Carlisle paused, looking at her then quickly away. "There's only one way to know for sure."

Calli looked at Carlisle questioningly for a few moments before her eyes widened. "Are you kidding me?!" she shouted, jumping up, pulling her hand from Jacob's. "Are you crazy! I am not going to…bite him!"

"It's the only way to know Calli," Jacob said quietly from behind her.

She whirled around to look at him. "You can't be serious…you can't actually want to do this! You are talking about…a vampire biting you!"

He stood up. "I'm talking about _you _biting me. Carlisle's already explained everything to me. If for some reason we're wrong, the venom can be…sucked back out, and I won't change."

"Are you really considering this Jacob?" Bella asked in a shocked voice.

He looked at her. "Yes. I want to know. More importantly," he turned back to Calli. "I need to know. We are going to be together for a long time. This is something we need the answer to."

Calli shook her head forcefully. "No. There is no way I'm doing this! You're not thinking clearly Jacob…if you were there is no way in hell you would actually want to do this!"

"Don't you want to know Calli?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes, I'd like to know. But I'm sure as hell not going to find out by biting him! This is insane!"

"There's no danger here Calli. It's happened before." Jacob glanced back at Bella. "Bella got bitten, and they were able to get the venom out. If we're wrong we can do the same thing here."

Calli looked up at Jacob pleadingly. "Please, you cannot really be thinking about doing this. This is crazy Jacob. If something went wrong…you could turn…"

"I trust you…and I trust Carlisle. I know he wouldn't let that happen if we are wrong…which I don't think we are."

Calli stared up at him for a moment, still pleading with her eyes, before they glazed over. She folded her hands across her chest. "No. I'm not doing it."

"Calli, Jacob is resolved to doing this," Carlisle said pointedly.

"Well that's just too bad, because I'm not doing it," she said stubbornly.

"You're…not the only one who can bite him Calli," Carlisle went on quietly.

She turned her eyes to his slowly, giving him a menacing look. "I love all of you…you are my family. But if you think I won't stop you from coming near Jacob, you're crazy."

"They're not going to hurt me Calli," Jacob said firmly, turning her face to his. "We need to do this. We're going to have to know."

"I am not biting you." She emphasized each word. "No one else is biting you. Period."

"It's either you or Carlisle Calli. Those are your only choices," Jacob said firmly.

"Are you even listening to yourself? You're talking about letting a vampire bite you. You're a werewolf! Is any of this getting through?"

"I'm a werewolf second. Firstly, I'm going to be your husband. Would you rather find out now…or later?"

"Calli, I promise you that if we are wrong Jacob will not turn. We will be able to get the venom out if he has any reaction. Trust me," Carlisle said. "It's better if you know now…this situation could be much worse if you were to find out later by accident."

Calli closed her eyes, letting out a frustrated breath. "You guys cannot be serious."

"We're serious Calli. This needs to be done," Jacob said softly.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"You should be the one to do it," he practically whispered. "Nothing will happen…I promise."

Calli stared up at him for a long time before turning to Carlisle. "Are you sure?" she asked shakily.

"I'm positive," he answered assuredly. "Nothing will happen."

"What will I have to do?"

"I'm not entirely familiar with the half breeds…all I know is what I've seen…and all I've seen is you. You were bitten…on the neck. Jacob will also need to be bitten on the neck."

"No way! No, I am not biting his neck, that is completely out of the question! If…"

"Calli, listen to me," Carlisle interrupted firmly. "It is possible to bite somewhere else and get the venom administered. However, if you were to bite, let's say his finger, or his wrist, the venom may take longer to go through his bloodstream. And that means that while we're waiting for a change to occur, it could be moving slowly through his body, and by the time we did actually see something, it may be too late to remove it."

"Your change is different than the change that would occur if we were to bite someone. You merely put them to sleep. If I were to do it I could bite Jacob somewhere like his finger, and he would be able to tell me the burn is starting. I don't want to take any chances with yours, as it could be different. When Samuel bit you, you screamed, and Jacob was there within seconds. By the time he reached you you were already out…the change was already beginning."

"I know for a fact your venom is at least slightly different than ours…the scent was different. Going off of the only example I have…which is you…if you bite him on the neck, and something happens, it should happen quickly, and we will know to remove the venom right away."

Calli was still shaking her head back and forth. She looked up at Jacob. "Think about this Jacob…you are talking about me biting your _neck_…your neck! You don't want to do this."

He looked down at Calli intently. "I need to do this. We need to do this. Trust me. Trust Carlisle."

Calli took a deep breath, staring up at him. He reached his hand up and touched her cheek, then nodded slightly.

She turned slowly toward Carlisle. "If something happens…"

"It won't Calli," he said firmly. "We know how to do this…and I firmly believe that we are right, and that it's going to have no affect on him."

"The bite…"

"Will heal right away," Jacob interrupted.

Calli looked up at him again. "I…don't want to do this in front of everyone," she said softly, her eyes never leaving his.

"We won't. It only needs to be you, me, and Jacob," Carlisle explained. "The best place would probably be your room…we will need Jacob to be lying down."

"Now?" Calli asked shakily.

"Now," Jacob affirmed.

"Jake…are you sure?" Bella asked worriedly.

"I'm completely sure," he replied, still looking down at Calli.

He began pulling her toward the stairs. She went reluctantly, Carlisle following behind. When they got to Calli's room Jacob opened the door and they all stepped in.

"Jacob should be lying down when you do this Calli. You will need to bite down directly onto his neck. You won't need to draw out any blood. You should feel your venom begin to flow, and you will need to force a small amount of it into the bite. I'm going to leave the two of you alone and stand right outside the door. Calli, I want you to call my name after you have bitten him. I'll come right in."

He handed her a small cloth. "Place this over the bite right after. I've seen Jacob heal, and it will happen very fast. This will stop the initial blood flow. Do you understand?"

Calli looked at him, nodding weakly.

Carlisle came and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It will be over before you know it," he said softly. "If for some reason you think there is a problem, just say my name and I'll be right here."

He gave them both a reassuring look before stepping out and closing the door quietly.

Jacob took Calli's face in his hands. "It's going to be fine," he said firmly.

"I can't do this…you can't really want me to do this."

"You're the only one I want to do this. It needs to be done. I know Carlisle is right…I know nothing is going to happen. We just need the proof."

"Jacob, please…"

He pulled her over and they sat down together on the edge of the bed. "I know everything is going to be fine. Trust me."

"I've never…I can't bite…a person…"

"This isn't like that Calli. It's an experiment. You're not going to hurt me, and I'll be fine." He looked at her intently. "The sooner we start, the sooner it will be done."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her up, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her tightly. She wound her arms around and clung to him desperately.

He pulled away, then leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. "Ready?" he asked.

"No," she said softly.

"Yes you are." He pulled her to the side of the bed. "You remember everything Carlisle told you?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"I'm going to lie down now, ok?"

She nodded again.

He lowered himself down on the bed and lay back slowly. He reached out and grabbed her hand. "You can do this Calli."

"I can't Jacob…I can't…I can't…"

"You can," he said firmly. "One time, that's it, and then we know. We never have to worry about it again."

She looked down at him, her eyes wide and anxious.

"You have to get it over with Calli," he said softly. "The more you think about it, the worse it will seem."

She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. He reached up to touch her cheek, and her eyes flew open.

"Now Calli," he said firmly.

She swallowed hard again and nodded. He looked up at her for another moment before he turned his head to the left, exposing his neck.

"Just do it quickly," he said, keeping his head turned.

Calli began lowering her face slowly down to his neck. She closed her eyes again and drew in a jagged breath.

"Jacob, I…" she began in a pained voice.

"You can…you will. Do it fast, and then it will be done and over with."

She lowered her face down further. She brought her lips slowly to his cheek and gave him a light kiss. Then she moved her mouth to his ear.

"I love you," she whispered, before she moved her mouth quickly to his neck.

* * *

**A/N- Ok, so let me explain this chapter a little. When I sat down to write it, I just intended it to be an uncomfortable conversation with Calli and the girls. But my fingers took on a life of their own, and at the end this is what was written. I didn't like it and went to delete, but the characters in my head screamed at me not to...yes, these characters are very much alive in my head. So despite the fact that I didn't want this to be in the story...it's a part of the story, and I have to post it. So if it feels like it kind of came out of left field...it pretty much did.**


	62. Chapter 61 Losing

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and comef rom her Twilight series._**

**A/N- Well, I'm starting to close in on writing the end of the story. It's sad, but fun too, because I had so many different ideas of how it would end, and I've finally gotten it down and final. So, I hope you continue to enjoy, and thanks so much for reading and reviewing, I love it!**

* * *

She squeezed her eyes shut and opened her mouth. She opened her eyes briefly to be sure she was in the right spot.

And then she bit down. She did it as fast as possible, knowing if she went slowly she would stop.

She heard him gasp quietly as her teeth broke his skin, then felt his blood begin to flow. She felt the venom pool into her mouth as it always did when she hunted, and she did as Carlisle had instructed her, pushing a small amount of the venom into the wound. She heard him breathing rapidly, his heart racing faster and faster.

Finally she removed her mouth from his neck and pressed the cloth in her hand firmly to the wound.

"Carlisle!" she called out in a choked voice.

As soon as she straightened up Jacob turned and looked at her. He didn't make a sound, just stared into her eyes.

Carlisle was there in seconds, standing next to Jacob, putting his hand over Calli's to hold the cloth in place.

As soon as he had taken over Calli stepped back, her eyes wide, trying to refuse to believe what she had just done.

"How do you feel Jacob?" Carlisle asked anxiously.

"I feel fine. I can't feel…anything out of the ordinary," he said in a soft voice.

"Your heartbeat isn't slowing, and obviously you have not passed out yet." He moved the cloth to look down at the wound. "Calli, come here," he said quietly.

When she didn't respond he turned to look at her. She continued to look at Jacob, wide eyed, saying nothing.

"Please Calli…I need you to see this."

She advanced forward slowly. She refused to meet Jacob's gaze, instead looking down at the wound Carlisle was motioning to. There was no blood coming out, and the skin was almost healed over.

Her wide eyes darted up to Carlisle. "What if he does react and the wound is closed by then?" she asked frantically. "We won't be able to get the venom out!" Her voice was becoming hysterical.

"Calm down Calli. In that case I will be removing it, and I will be able to find the exact spot." He looked down at Jacob. "Jacob, can you sit up?"

Jacob sat up slowly. "I don't feel anything."

"No dizziness, no pain, nothing?" Carlisle questioned.

"Nothing. I can't even feel the pain where the bite was anymore. I don't feel anything."

"We'll need to keep monitoring you for a bit. But," he directed his gaze to Calli. "When you were bitten it only took seconds before you were out. It's now been minutes. I believe we were right…your venom has no affect on him."

Calli stared from Jacob to Carlisle, then back to Jacob. She swayed slightly on her feet.

Jacob reached up to grab her arm and pulled her down next to him on the bed. "I'm fine Calli…look at me. I'm fine. Nothing happened. And now we know."

She just stared at him, saying nothing.

* * *

Calli knocked softly on the door.

"Come in," Carlisle called.

She opened the door slowly and walked in, closing it quietly behind her.

"Hello Calli."

She said nothing, instead just taking the seat across from him and looking down at her hands.

He leaned forward on the desk, hands clasped, and looked at her carefully. "You must stop feeling guilty for what you did Calli," he said gently. "This was something Jacob wanted you to do. He needed to know…and so did you. You did nothing wrong. Absolutely nothing."

Her eyes went up slowly to meet his. She wrung her hands nervously in her lap, grasping them tight enough to feel slight pain.

"It's not just that," she said quietly, "though that was bad enough on its own."

"Calli, this was huge for the pack. To know that they will never be affected by venom is something that they are glad to know. And for you and Jacob to be together it's something you needed to know."

She sighed and looked over at a spot on the wall, still wringing her hands. "Every time I picture it," she moaned.

The image hit her again and she closed her eyes, willing it to go away.

"Please Calli…there is no reason for you to feel this way. Everything is fine, it's over now…you need to just put it behind you."

She opened her eyes and turned them once again to Carlisle's concerned face.

He looked at her, scrutinizing for a while, before he spoke. "What else Calli?"

"My…my powers are just…totally messed up right now," she said in an exasperated voice.

"With time, you won't become so drained…"

"It's not the draining," she interrupted. "They're…off…something is wrong. You know, I was up in my room the other night, and I was upset, just thinking about…you know…and a book flew across the room! Without me even thinking about it! That kind of thing hasn't happened since I was first changed."

Carlisle looked at her questioningly. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.

"And my mind is opening just at random times. I'm not even trying to do it…it just happens. And now, I'm starting to have trouble turning it off…sometimes…it just won't. And that's happening more and more. I've gone hours the past few days where I was just…listening…and seeing…" She trailed off, shuddering.

"I'm not getting better…I'm getting worse…much worse. It's like I'm moving in reverse. When I was first changed it didn't take long to get what little of me was hard to control under wraps…but now…everything is just…"

"Calli…relax," Carlisle interrupted, looking warily at a picture on the wall that had begun to shake slightly.

She turned to look at it. "See!" she exclaimed, jumping out of her chair and motioning to the picture. She began pacing. "What the hell is happening to me?"

"I wish I could tell you Calli," Carlisle said in a sad voice.

Calli sat back down, putting her head in her hands. "I felt more in control when Samuel had a part of me then I do now," she murmured in a pained voice. "Everything is just…it's too much."

Carlisle came around the desk and placed a hand comfortingly on her shoulder, sitting in the chair next to her. "You are unbelievably strong Calli. I knew you were strong when you were going to ascend. You made it through that. If possible, you are even stronger now. This is a fight…I'm sure at times it seems too much…but you _will_ pull through."

She raised her head and looked at him. "There's a fight inside of me…it's every second of every minute of every day. The part of me that wants to stay in control, and the part of me that wants to lose it. And the part that wants to lose it feels like it's getting stronger…and the other part feels like it's getting weaker. It's like Samuel split me into two people. He gave me the other part back…but I don't want her."

"We all have a fight inside of us Calli…our whole family…yours is just a different kind of fight."

"If this goes on forever, I don't think I can…" She trailed off.

"When I first began to consciously fight the urge to drink from humans, it was a constant struggle. That urge came naturally to me, to my kind. But I was determined to fight. It took many, many years. It was unbearable at times…but something I knew I had to do."

"It's been hundreds of years now. I have a good handle on it. But the fight never truly goes away. While I say I'm fairly immune to it the scent of blood, there have been times, and will continue to be I'm sure, where it will be difficult. But because I fought so hard, and I wanted it so much…that fight just became a part of me. And now the instinct to stick to what I have worked so hard for…that is what comes naturally. And the thought of straying is the abhorrent one. This may be a fight you deal with for…forever. But eventually, you will come to a point where the fight is just a part of you…where winning the fight is just a part of you."

"It feels like I'm going to lose," she sighed. "It feels like I'm already losing."

"Have you talked to Jacob about this Calli?"

She looked away to the wall.

"I'll take that as a no. Jacob is the best person you could tell this to. He will help keep you grounded…in more ways than one."

She shook her head. "It feels…like I shouldn't even tell anyone…like I'm…I feel…like I'm bad somehow…"

"If you were bad you would have lost long ago. You're fighting because you're so good," he said softly.

"If I…can't win this…he's the last person I would want to see that."

"It's always hard to be hopeful toward tomorrow, when today is so difficult. But Calli…it's even harder to do it alone. You're not alone. But you've been isolating yourself from everyone…from me, us…Jacob. You've been so distant. A little distant since your ascension, but so very distant these past few days. Pulling away from everyone that loves you…I can promise you that will not help you win this."

"If I were to become…dangerous…you would regret me ever being here…" she muttered.

"No. I wouldn't," he said in a tone that was impossible to ignore. Calli's eyes turned quickly to his.

"I remember when I was going to speak to William about you," he went on in a softer tone. "I had no idea why…I didn't know you, I had no idea what you might be…but I had such a strong urge for you to stay. I knew I wanted you here with me, with us. That feeling has never gone away…it has only grown stronger."

"Because, very simply…you're my daughter. Just as Edward is my son, and so on. Maybe if your circumstances, or the circumstances of any of my children had been different, you would have been meant to be somewhere else. But because you were dealt this…you were meant to be with me. It's a strange sort of feeling, to wish something better for you all, a normal life…but cringe at the thought that then you all might not be with me. But, nevertheless…regardless of what happens…I will always know taking you in was the right thing to do."

She stared at him for a long time before speaking. "What…if I'm not the same person I was then?"

"You are Calli. Maybe there are things that have changed…but not the person you are."

"I don't…" She trailed off, putting her head down quickly. "You've got to be kidding me," she muttered darkly.

"What is it?"

"It…it won't close…damnit," she said in a pained voice. She looked back up at him, her eyes wide. "I'm going to go insane! It just opens, and I can't close it…and you would think thoughts would be kind of quiet, but instead they're just…screaming at me, and…"

She was quiet for a moment before standing up quickly.

"I…have to go for a walk or something…" she said hurriedly. "I need to get away from all these…ugh…gross!"

"Go Calli," Carlisle said reassuringly.

She walked to the door, looking at him one last time before throwing it open and rushing out.

Carlisle walked down the stairs just after Calli had run out the front door.

"What's going on?" Alice demanded, looking toward the door worriedly.

"It seems Calli's having a little…difficulty with her powers," Carlisle answered, descending the rest of the way down and sitting next to Esme on the couch.

"What kind of difficulty?" Jasper asked.

"Her mind is opening at random times, and she is sometimes unable to shut it. She's just going through a hard time."

"Sometimes it's almost like she's a different person," Alice mused thoughtfully.

Carlisle looked at her questioningly. "Do you really feel that way?"

"Sometimes…yes. Every once in awhile her face just looks…very hard…and cold. And it doesn't look like Calli at all. Even when she was angry before…she never looked that way."

"You know, when she didn't have any difficulty with blood, I thought her…existence was going to be just so much easier than ours. But she seems to be struggling all the same…if not more," Esme said softly.

"Do you think it's possible…that she…won't be able to fight this?" Jasper asked warily.

"No," Carlisle replied firmly. "I know Calli is strong. I know she will struggle…but I also know she will never fall. She's stronger than even I ever thought, and I always knew she was very strong."

"Why isn't she getting better with her powers?" Alice asked. "She didn't have this kind of trouble before."

"Her powers are on a whole different level now. They're much different than they used to be."

"But shouldn't the control be the same? I mean, it may take more control with more powers…but what she needs to do to gain that control…should that really have changed?"

"With Calli, there's no telling what should or shouldn't be," Carlisle sighed. "There's nothing to go on, to base her off of."

"There's Samuel," Jasper spoke up.

The room was silent for a few minutes.

"Yes…there is Samuel," Carlisle murmured.

* * *

Calli ran until she couldn't hear their thoughts anymore. She was surprised to find that it took a lot of distance; she was far into the forest when she finally stopped.

Now she only had her thoughts to listen to. And that wasn't much of a comfort. Because lately she felt like her thoughts were pulling her further and further away from herself; from what she wanted to be, anyway.

From the part of her that wanted to be good and do what was right. She always thought she had struggled throughout her life; but she had never known there could be struggle like this. Where every minute you were fighting so hard to do something that seemed so simple; to be good. To not lose control, to not lose yourself.

She lifted her head up and let the pouring rain wash down her face. She was soaked through, had been just moments after she stepped outside.

But she couldn't stay there and be bombarded with their thoughts anymore. Anyone who thought reading another person's mind was a gift would only need to do it briefly before seeing what a curse it was.

Forget the fact that you were intruding on a part of a person always meant to be theirs alone; but there were really just some things that you didn't need to know about another person.

And then there were the visions. She knew there were some good ones mixed in there with the bad. But the good ones were a blur, and were always overshadowed by the horrific images she got of people dying, hurting; hurting others.

She could feel her power coursing through her every day. It was like a steady beat through her body, one that might feel remotely good…

But only if she were bad. Because the only other thing she could feel was the constant struggle to not lose control. She knew she was powerful…but she constantly had to hold herself back.

And if she was having such a hard time controlling herself, did that make her bad in itself? That she had to fight so hard just to remain remotely decent. She felt like she was actually a bad person for having to fight so hard just to be good.

She felt as if she were being drained from just thinking. There were so many thoughts running through her head all the time…sometimes not even hers. She wanted, just even for a little while, to make all thought go away and escape somewhere where she could feel at ease.

Then an idea came to her. She closed her eyes, and concentrated hard.

When she opened them she looked around, smiling. She began walking down the stretch of beach where Jacob had asked her to marry him. It looked just like it had that night, with the moonlight pouring down and glinting off the water, making the area bright.

She walked down a ways, then stopped and sat down on the shore, right at the edge of where the tide pulled the water up.

This was always the place she thought of when she wanted to feel peaceful. The place where the best thing in her life had occurred.

And here, in this place, it was easy to push all other thoughts away and focus on him. And when she thought of him, she was happy. He made her happy.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there before deciding she needed to pull away and head home. But when she did let the image go, coming back to the forest that was now beginning to darken, the rain merely falling lightly now, she felt so drained that she could barely pull herself up.

She knew her body itself wasn't actually drained, but her mind draining never failed to give her a physical reaction.

It felt like it took days for her to make it back to the house. She walked so slow, feeling sluggish and worn out.

When she finally began climbing the stairs to the porch the door opened violently. She saw Jacob standing there, a mixture of anger and relief on his face.

"Where were you?" he demanded. He finally seemed to take in her appearance, and he rushed up to her, wrapping his arm tightly around her waist.

"I…took a walk," she finally answered in barely more than a whisper, collapsing into him, letting him support her weight.

"A six hour walk?" he scoffed. "What were you thinking being gone for that long?!"

"Can we…please just go upstairs?"

He hesitated momentarily before pulling her through the door. He closed it loudly and they walked up the stairs.

When they got to her room she quickly went to the bed and collapsed onto it.

Jacob closed the door and then turned, just standing there. She didn't look at him; she didn't have the energy to try and focus on anything right now, even him.

He finally sighed loudly and walked to the bed. "I love you," he said quietly.

"I know," she murmured.


	63. Chapter 62 Identifying

**_Disclaimer- The fbulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- -sigh-...closer to the end. I love writing this story so much...it makes me kind of sad. But you know what would make me happy...reviews! Especially since we're getting to the end of the story. So get those reviews in! And, just a fair warning, the chapters toward the end will tend to be a little shorter because of the way I've got the story spaced out, so...hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Well everyone, I'm sure you can pretty much guess what this discussion is regarding." Carlisle shot a look at Bella and Edward. "It is time for Bella to be changed."

Everyone turned their eyes in Bella's direction. She looked around, a little apprehensive, before her gaze shifted to the ground.

"Now, Bella, Edward and I have discussed this…and we've decided that Edward and I will take Bella to Alaska and change her there."

At this Carlisle looked at Calli, whose gaze was averted to a spot on the wall.

"I will stay until her transformation is complete, and then I will be returning here. We'll let them have a little privacy for a bit…and then it will be time…" Carlisle paused, looking at Calli again. "For us to move on. We've been in Forks quite awhile now, and I don't want to risk staying any longer."

"How long will we be staying before we join them?" Alice asked.

"That will depend. While I think it's important for Edward and Bella to have some time alone, there are other reasons we need to stay in the area. As far as we know Samuel still plans to strike. We would need to stay here until that happens."

At this Calli finally pulled her gaze to Carlisle, who looked at her warily.

"The pack has already agreed that they won't come after us for breaking the treaty…why can't Bella be changed here?" Emmett asked.

"We just feel it will be better for the whole situation for her to be changed elsewhere. Considering we'll be going down there soon anyway, it seemed the logical choice. Have you seen anything of the fight Alice?"

Alice shook her head, her expression changing immediately to a frown.

"I can't understand why," Carlisle mused. "Even if Samuel is somehow blocking you, it involves us, and you should be able to see something of that."

"Believe me, I know," Alice grumbled, her frown deepening.

"Calli?"

Calli's gaze turned to Carlisle again, looking distant, as if her mind were somewhere far away.

"Hmmm?"

Carlisle frowned. "Have you seen anything?"

She shook her head no before shifting her eyes again.

Carlisle sighed. "Well, we will be leaving tomorrow. Considering the two of you have seen nothing, there shouldn't be any trouble for the few days I'm gone. When I get back we'll need to see if we can do something about your visions."

Carlisle looked around the room, acknowledging that the discussion was over. Alice, Jasper, and Emmett stood to go over to Edward and Bella.

Carlisle walked quickly to Calli. "Let's take a walk," he said to her quietly.

She looked at him briefly before nodding. They walked out the front door and began making their way across the lawn.

"What is going on with you Calli?" Carlisle asked after they walked for a few minutes in silence.

She sighed. "You already know."

"Has it not become any easier?"

She smiled a grim smile, facing forward the entire time, her eyes still holding that far away look. "Easier? That's a way to put it I suppose. My mind is open almost all the time now," she said quietly. "I feel less like screaming now. I still feel like I'm going insane…but I'm getting used to it. All of my powers are still completely out of control. I think that has actually gotten worse. I move things all the time without meaning to. Sometimes…I find that I can't even do anything. Nothing. Except hear all the voices. And see all the visions."

"I…just don't understand," Carlisle said thoughtfully. "I don't understand why it's not getting any better."

Calli just shrugged nonchalantly.

"Are you even trying Calli?" Carlisle asked seriously.

"Yes I'm trying," she sighed. "It's just…totally different now. Everything is so totally different. I thought things were different when I woke up…after my ascension. But now…things have changed."

"What things?"

"Things I can't even really identify but that I know are different. I can't even really explain. I'm just…different."

"Have you seen…has Samuel…changed anyone?"

He saw her face go hard for a brief moment before becoming impassive. "Yes."

"How many?"

"Seven."

"Have any of them ascended?"

"He's going for people who are just about to turn eighteen…they've all ascended."

"Have they all lived?"

Calli swallowed hard, then shook her head no.

"How many have?"

"None of them," she said softly.

"None?" Carlisle asked incredulously.

"None," she repeated.

They walked along for quite awhile in silence.

"Has Samuel been connecting to you a lot?" Carlisle finally asked.

Her mouth turned up into a small smile for just a moment before she responded. "A few times," she said softly. "Not much."

"What has he said? Has he been threatening you?"

"No, not really. He's just…I don't know…talked to me a few times."

"Talked to you? About what?"

"I don't know. Just stuff." She paused for a few moments, looking thoughtful. "You know," she began quietly, "it's not hard to see how he turned out the way he did. If he went through all of this…all of what I'm going through. And he didn't have anyone. No one who even understood it at all. It's not hard to see."

Carlisle eyed her carefully, but she just stared ahead.

"Calli…are you talking back…to Samuel?"

She turned her gaze slowly to meet his. They just stared at each other for a moment.

Finally she gave him a small smile. "Of course not."

* * *

Jacob walked into the house to find Carlisle pacing anxiously. The look on his face scared him. 

"Where's Calli?" he asked immediately.

"She's upstairs with Alice."

"What's going on?" he asked slowly.

"I asked Alice to try and…keep her preoccupied."

"Preoccupied? Why?"

"Has Calli been talking to you at all? Does she seem off?"

Jacob sighed, running his hand over his head. He walked to the couch and sat down. Carlisle remained standing.

"She hasn't really been talking. I haven't been pushing her much though. I guess maybe she seems a little off. But I know this thing with her powers is really frustrating her."

Carlisle came and sat down next to him. "Alright, listen to me carefully. I'm very worried about Calli. I know the trouble with her powers is bothering her. But there's…something else, I'm sure of it."

"What? What else? What happened?"

"Nothing specific happened. I've just been watching her carefully. There is something very strange going on. She always seems preoccupied…"

"She's hearing voices in her head," Jacob interrupted quickly.

"I know, and I've seen someone go through that…remember, I was with Edward when he first changed. He had to get used to it too. I have a feeling that is not what Calli is preoccupied with. She's very quiet, distant…she's almost…removing herself from all of us."

"I know she's been distant. Believe me, I know more than anyone," Jacob said slowly. "But she has a lot on her mind."

"More than I think we know," Carlisle said grimly. "I talked to her today. She said her mind is open almost all of the time now, and that her powers have been acting up at random times more frequently. Also, she says there have been times when she simply can't use her powers."

"She's not getting any better," Jacob mumbled.

"She's getting worse. And…" Carlisle hesitated.

Jacob narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"I talked to her today. She seemed really…more distant today than normal. I asked her if Samuel had been contacting her at all, and she said he had a few times. I asked her if he had threatened her, and she said no…that he was just…talking to her."

"Talking? What did he say?"

"I don't know…she never told me. She said she didn't know. I asked her if she was talking back to him…she said no, but she hesitated. I think…I think she's lying."

"Calli doesn't lie," Jacob said firmly. "And why would she anyway?"

Carlisle stood up and began pacing again. "I don't know. She started talking about how it was easier to understand why Samuel is the way he is. That he had no one who understood him."

Carlisle came and stood in front of Jacob. "But Calli does have someone who understands Jacob," he went on more quietly. "Samuel. I think…that she's…identifying with him or something."

Jacob jumped up and opened his mouth quickly.

"Quiet Jacob," Carlisle hissed. "I'm trying to keep this from getting to Calli. That's why Alice is distracting her. Don't shout."

Jacob took a deep breath to calm himself. "What do you mean 'identifying' with him? Calli hates Samuel."

"If you had heard her…the way her voice sounded when she spoke of him. Something is going on. I don't know if maybe he's just getting at her because she's having trouble right now, or if she's just…desperate for someone who understands what is happening to her. Regardless, something _is_ happening."

"So what did you say to her?"

"Nothing. I have a strong feeling if we push her she'll only distance herself more. I know she will. She's very…she's on an edge. I'm afraid if I push…if any of us push…she'll fall…and the wrong way."

"I thought you said she was going to be fine!" Jacob hissed angrily. "You said this wasn't a big problem, that she was strong, that she would get through this."

"I thought she was fine! I just thought she was struggling a little with her powers. This is not about her powers though. Maybe her powers are even being affected _because_ of this…whatever it is. I don't know Jacob. I just know that something is definitely not right."

"So what do we do? What do I do?"

"If possible, I don't want her to know we're thinking about this. She won't hear your thoughts. And I'm well versed in concealing my own. I haven't told the others anything about it. Only that I _don't_ want her left alone. I want you to keep doing as your doing, patrolling and…"

"No way am I leaving her," Jacob interrupted firmly.

"She needs to think everything is fine Jacob. The others will know when you're patrolling and will keep an eye on her. Meanwhile, when you're with her…try and keep her mind on something…anything…other than…where it's been. Do whatever you have to do, but she needs to stop thinking about…whatever it is she's thinking about. I may not know exactly what it is…but I have a strong feeling it's nothing good."

Jacob shook his head back and forth a few times. "Calli wouldn't fall for Samuel's crap…she's too smart for that…she knows what he is."

"Jacob," Carlisle began slowly. "I don't think she's falling for anything. I don't think Samuel's attempting to…pull her in, or anything like that."

"You think this is all Calli?!"

"Yes," Carlisle sighed. "I do."

* * *

Everyone stood by the front door, each taking their turns saying goodbye to Edward, Bella, and Carlisle. 

After Carlisle gave Esme one last kiss, he came and stood in front of Calli. As usual, she was staring at the wall, looking like she was in a daze.

"Calli," he said softly.

She looked up at him.

"Is something going to happen while I'm gone?"

She smiled at him. "No. Nothing."

He stared at her carefully for a few moments before he gave her a hug.

"Be careful," he whispered.

She pulled away and gave him another smile before looking away.

Jacob gave Bella a tight hug.

"You're sure?" he asked quietly.

"Aren't you?" she replied.

He smiled at her.

Alice gave Bella a big hug. She sighed when she pulled away.

"I wish I could be there," she said sadly.

"Me too," Bella replied. "But I'll see you soon."

Everyone finished up their goodbyes. Calli was the last to reach Bella. When she did they shared a tight embrace.

"You're going to be fine," Calli murmured quietly.

When they pulled away Bella looked at her carefully.

"Remember. Your heart…not your head," she said firmly.

Calli gave her a small smile. "Trust me…I know."


	64. Chapter 63 Drifting

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- Just a few chapters left. Makes me sad...but your reviews make me happy. So...keep them coming! And thanks so much for reading, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Jacob walked in the door, looking around anxiously.

"Where's Calli?" he demanded.

Alice stopped pacing and looked at him warily, saying nothing.

"Alice?"

"I don't know!" she said, frustrated, throwing her hands in the air. "We were here…we were right here! And the next thing I know, I turned around and she just…wasn't there!"

"She wasn't there?!" he roared. "Well where the hell did she go?"

"It's like she disappeared into thin air! She didn't walk out the door or anything! I'm telling you, she just disappeared!"

"You were supposed to keep an eye on her!"

"I was! We were standing here, in the same room, and…"

"She couldn't have just disappeared into thin air!"

Alice's eyes narrowed. "Have you forgotten that Calli can do a lot of things that other people can't do?"

"She can't have just...she…damnit!"

"I'm sorry!" Alice sunk down to the couch. "I'm so sorry Jacob."

Jacob sunk down on the other side, putting his head in his hands and taking a deep breath.

"What the hell is going on with her?" Alice murmured quietly.

"That's a very good question."

Jacob sat on the couch, his head leaning back, eyes closed, Alice pacing the room, when the front door opened.

Calli walked in slowly and closed the door quietly behind her.

Jacob jumped up as soon as he saw her and ran to her side.

"What the hell Calli?!" Alice exploded as soon as she was through the door. "Where did you go? Where were you?"

Calli looked slightly indifferent as she answered calmly. "I went for a walk."

"A walk?! You disappeared into thin air! You were here one second and gone the next!"

Calli frowned. "I walked right out the front door."

"No you did not! I would have heard something! Instead I just turned around and you weren't there!"

Calli sighed. "I don't know what to tell you Alice. I just went for a walk."

Jacob stood next to Calli, observing her carefully, but she kept her eyes averted.

Alice took a few deep breaths and a couple moments to calm herself down. "Alright…then why didn't you tell me where you were going?"

Calli finally showed some kind of emotion. Her face became angry as she answered. "What am I, five years old? I don't need a babysitter, you know."

"Calli," Jacob said softly, fighting to keep himself calm. "No one is saying you need a babysitter. But we were worried about you."

"I'm a big girl…I can take care of myself."

Jacob sighed. "I know that. But can't you see how you just disappearing while you're with Alice might upset her?"

Calli finally looked up at Jacob. Her eyes still held the distant look they had for so long now. The anger left her face and it became impassive. "Yeah, I guess," she mumbled.

Alice looked between the two of them before she let out a loud breath and went quickly upstairs.

Calli walked past Jacob and over to the couch, sitting down with her legs curled up underneath her. She stared blankly out the window.

Jacob stood in place for a few moments before he walked over and sat down next to her, taking her hand in his.

She never turned toward him, and her hand sat limply in his.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly.

She sighed heavily. "I wish people would stop asking me that. Is it really that big of a deal that I just wanted to go for a walk?"

"You just seem very distant lately, and when you just leave…it scares them. It scares me."

"I just…have a lot on my mind."

Jacob reached out slowly and turned her face to his. Her eyes seemed almost blank; devoid. She showed no emotion as she stared into his.

"I know you do," he said quietly. "And I wish…that I could just make it all go away for you. That I could make everything right."

"But you can't," she almost whispered.

"No…I guess I can't," he said, reaching up and touching her cheek lightly. "But I can help…but you have to let me."

Calli continued to stare at him. "This is just stuff I have to deal with Jacob. It's all stuff in my head…all stuff I have to control. You can't do that."

"Don't push me away Calli. That won't make it any easier."

She finally looked away and started staring out the window once again. They sat there in silence, holding hands, Calli staring out the window, Jacob staring at Calli.

Carlisle had been right. There was something wrong. Very wrong. He had never seen her seem so…distracted. When she looked at him, it felt like she felt nothing.

And he still felt everything, that overwhelming love, that unmistakable energy that seemed to pass between them.

But she just seemed shut off. Like she didn't want to feel anything.

Like she didn't want him. Like she didn't want any of this anymore. This life, this family. It felt like she had just totally surrendered to…something. Like she had given up.

He felt that. He felt like he could see it in her. But he couldn't bring himself to believe it. Not her. Not his Calli. He knew she loved him. He knew it, he could never deny it.

But could he deny this? Could he deny what he was seeing? Could he deny the fact that Calli didn't seem affected by the fact that she was upsetting and hurting them?

He knew she had to see it. Everyone looked at her warily, as if they were afraid something could happen at any moment. And she really didn't talk to anyone. She never volunteered conversation, just answered when she was spoken to.

She was like this whole other person. She looked like Calli. But she didn't act like Calli. She never smiled, at least not a real smile. She didn't laugh. She didn't even really seem too angry.

Just gone. Distant. Detached.

And he didn't know how to make it go away. He usually wanted to get angry and yell at her. Force her to come out from wherever it was she seemed to be hiding. But he knew that wouldn't help, that it would just push her further away.

So he just tried to talk to her softly, calmly, and let her know he was there. That he would always be there. But that didn't seem to have any effect at all.

When her powers had first begun acting up, she had seemed like she was going crazy. She was frustrated and on edge. She acted like she just wanted to scream, like she couldn't take it anymore.

And that had somehow shifted to this. To this whole indifferent, unconcerned attitude. And it scared him. Because it wasn't at all like her. Calli was emotional. And now she was showing no kind of emotion whatsoever.

He continued to sit there, staring at her. Trying desperately to figure out something; anything. But he couldn't. None of it made any sense to him.

Calli couldn't identify with Samuel. She wouldn't. He knew her better than to think she could ever feel that way. And still his anger for Samuel had risen even more, if that were possible. He wanted so badly to kill him, to make him go away forever.

Did that mean that a part of him thought that Carlisle was right, that there was something now between Samuel and Calli that they just didn't understand? Could it be Calli's doing if there was?

No. Not Calli. Not his Calli.

Suddenly he saw Calli flinch slightly. Then a small smile came to her lips. She turned slowly and stared at him for a few moments, and there, in those few moments, he could swear he saw her. All the emotion, the fear, the love, the confusion.

And then she reached up and wrapped her arms tightly around him. He pulled her to his chest and just held her there, stroking her hair.

"Tell me what's wrong Calli," he finally said after a few minutes.

"Just hold me," she murmured. "And trust me."

* * *

Carlisle walked in the door to find everyone but Calli and Alice waiting for him. As soon as he entered Esme ran to him.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"I missed you," she said quietly.

"Me too," he murmured as he pulled away, smiling down at her. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.

"How is Bella?" she asked anxiously when he pulled away. He saw Jacob rise from his spot at the bottom of the stairs.

"She's doing well," he answered. "It was a…difficult three days. She was of course in great pain, and Edward had a very hard time dealing with that. But it went as well as these things can go."

"And how was Edward when she woke up?"

Carlisle smiled. "A bit apprehensive at first, out of guilt I'm sure. But now…now that it's done and he understands it's the two of them forever…I believe he's very happy."

"Man, I can't wait to see her," Emmett said enthusiastically. "But I am gonna miss her tripping every few minutes. She won't be nearly as entertaining."

"Yes well, I'm sure that's something she will not miss," Carlisle said with a smile.

"Does she look much different?" Jacob asked quietly.

"She still looks like Bella. But…yes…she looks different." He regarded Jacob with a frown. "Where is Calli?"

"Alice took her to Port Angeles," Jacob said slowly.

"Is something wrong? Did something happen?"

"You were right Carlisle. There's something seriously off."

"Tell me what happened," he demanded.

Jacob sighed. "Not much happened really. Although…once when Alice was supposed to be keeping an eye on her she just disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Carlisle asked as he walked to the couch with Esme. They sat down side by side.

"Alice swears she just vanished. She says there's no way she walked out the door in the time Alice was turned, and that she didn't even hear anything. Calli swears she did just walk out the door and leave. But Alice is pretty adamant. Which either means that Alice is just mistaken, or…"

"She's lying," Carlisle supplied softly.

"Alice is very rarely mistaken," Jasper spoke up.

"Do you think…" Jacob asked softly, his eyes pleading with Carlisle's.

"Do you?" Carlisle replied.

"After that…it happened yesterday," Jacob went on, "I sat and talked with her for awhile. She wouldn't really talk to me though. But she was so…detached. It's like she wasn't even really there. Like she wasn't the same person. We only talked for a couple minutes before we were just quiet for awhile. And then, she was staring out the window and she just smiled, and she turned and looked at me…and I swear, for that minute or so…it was like she was…Calli again. She looked at me and I could actually see her."

Jacob sighed. "She hugged me. She asked me to trust her. And we sat like that for a few minutes. But then…when she pulled away…it was like…she was gone again."

Carlisle frowned. "When Calli was talking to me, when her powers were first starting to act up, she told me that she felt like she wasn't the same person. She said that Samuel gave her back that part of her…but that he had changed it, that she didn't want it," he mused thoughtfully.

"What is this, like multiple personality?" Emmett asked. "You think Calli is two different people?"

"Do you think the Calli you're seeing now is the same Calli as before?" Carlisle asked.

"She's definitely not the same," Emmett conceded. "But do you actually think there are like…two of her in there?"

"When her powers started acting up, Alice said that it was like she was two different people. I hadn't thought I'd really seen that. But then I started paying more attention to her. And Alice was right. Sometimes her face just went hard and cold, and it was like a totally different person. And then she just started going…blank."

They were all quiet for a little while.

"Did Calli say anything about Samuel?" Carlisle asked Jacob.

"No…but I didn't really ask her about him either. I'm just afraid…"

"I know. I know."

"What about the fact that Alice says she just disappeared?" Jasper asked. "We've never seen her do that before…can she do that?"

"Her powers have been very…off lately. I can't imagine she would be able to do something like that. I got her to practice a few times…sometimes she found herself unable to even move anything," Carlisle replied.

"So what happened then…how did she just…vanish?"

"I don't know," Carlisle sighed. "I don't seem to know much of anything when it comes to Calli anymore."

"So what do we do?" Esme asked gently. "It's not hard to see…we're losing her. She's drifting further away every moment."

"Knowing what to do with Calli…is becoming more difficult every day."


	65. Chapter 64 Unstable

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

* * *

"Are you up for some practicing today Calli?"

Calli sighed, turning to look at Carlisle. Jacob sat next to her.

"What's the point?" she said aimlessly. "It's not getting any better. Half the time now I can't even do anything."

"Regardless, you need to try. You'll need to be as strong as you can for this fight."

"Fine." She stood up and began walking quickly to the front door.

Carlisle and Jacob exchanged a glance before following her. Everyone else filed out behind the two of them.

Calli stood in the middle of the lawn, looking toward the trees absently.

"Place an image in my mind Calli," Carlisle said firmly from behind her.

She sighed heavily and turned to face him. She stared at him carefully. Her eyes remained unchanged as she focused.

"Try harder Calli," Carlisle urged.

"I'm trying," she said flatly. She kept staring for a minute before Carlisle sighed.

"You need to try harder."

"I am trying!"

"Well it doesn't seem like it. What are you going to do when you're in the middle of the fight?"

"I already know this," she hissed.

"What is going on with you?" Alice said angrily, stepping forward. "Why are you being like this?"

"Being like what?" Calli said, her voice slightly angry.

"You're acting like…a brat. Don't you even care what's going on?"

"Yes I care," she spat back, her voice rising. "Why are all of you treating me like some damn kid? I'm not a child."

"You seem to be acting like one. This is serious stuff Calli!" Alice argued.

"I know how serious this is, ok, I don't need you to tell me!"

"Then why aren't you taking it seriously? Why aren't you working harder to get your powers under control?" Emmett spoke up.

Calli glared at him. "How the hell would you know how hard I'm trying, huh? You don't know what it's like, and you don't know what I'm going through!"

"No one does Calli, because you won't talk to any of us," Carlisle said gently.

"So I don't want to talk, is that a crime?"

"Why are you being so stubborn?" Rosalie demanded. "You can't do this by yourself…you need all of us."

"Look, I didn't ask for…" Calli began furiously.

"We know you didn't ask for it!" Alice interrupted. "But it's going to happen anyway, and you damn well need to be ready for it!"

"Calli, we're just trying to help you," Esme said gently.

"Oh yeah, cause this is really helping me a whole lot!"

"Would everyone just calm down!" Jacob said loudly.

"Jacob's right," Carlisle began. "We need…"

"Calli needs to stop acting like a spoiled kid!" Alice fumed.

"Then stop treating me like a child!" Calli shouted back.

"Calli, they're not…" Jacob began.

"No, not they…it's you too Jacob!" she interrupted angrily. "You treat me the same as they do! Like I need to be watched, like I can't take care of myself!"

"Is that what you call this?" Alice retorted. "Taking care of yourself? And what about everyone else in this fight? Maybe you need to stop being so selfish!"

Before any of them knew what had happened, Calli's eyes quickly changed and Alice flew backwards. Jasper growled loudly as he ran to her.

The rest of them looked at Calli in shock. Alice sat up and stared at her with the same expression everyone else did.

Calli's eyes changed back immediately. She looked at Alice, her eyes wide.

"Calli, what…" Carlisle began.

"I didn't…I…mean to," she sputtered quietly. "I'm…sorry Alice," she practically whispered before running into the house.

"She's getting out of control," Jasper said angrily.

"She…didn't mean to," Alice said softly as she stood up.

"That's exactly the point!" Rosalie spoke up. "What else is she going to do without meaning to? She couldn't use her powers when she was trying to focus on Carlisle, but they worked as soon as she got angry. She is seriously unstable."

"She's not…" Carlisle began.

"Yes she is Carlisle," Jacob interrupted quietly.

They all turned to stare at him.

"She's right…Calli is unstable. This isn't her. I've argued with Calli. She's never like that. This isn't her."

"What are we going to do when this fight comes along and she's like this, huh?" Rosalie demanded. "She won't be able to block Samuel, or any of the rest of them!"

"We need to talk to her, not yell at her," Esme said pointedly.

"What if she knows she'll never need to block Samuel," Jasper said. "If you're right Carlisle, and she is identifying with him…maybe she's not planning to fight him."

"I've spoken to her about this, and she says that Samuel is still planning a fight."

"At this rate there's no way we could win," Rosalie said.

"Maybe Calli doesn't want to win," Alice said softly.

* * *

Calli walked downstairs to find only Emmett in the living room.

"Finally decided to make an appearance, huh?" he said gruffly.

As soon as he spoke Carlisle, Esme, and Alice walked in from the kitchen.

"We want to talk to you Calli," Carlisle said.

"Again?" she said dully.

"I didn't want to fight with you Calli," Alice said gently. "I shouldn't have yelled. And I don't…blame you for what happened yesterday."

Calli looked around at each of them carefully.

When her eyes landed on Carlisle he stared at her, seeing something in her eyes he didn't like. She still had that distant look, but there was something else. Something he couldn't really identify, but that he didn't like all the same.

"I'm going for a walk," she said softly, staring at him for another moment before averting her gaze.

Carlisle sighed. "No Calli."

"No? I'm not asking permission."

He was slightly puzzled. He felt her words should have been angry, but they just came out monotone.

"I don't think you should go off by yourself."

"I'm going for a walk," she repeated.

"You mean you're leaving," Carlisle said firmly.

"I mean I'm going for a walk."

"Do you really think we'll let you go without a fight Calli? To him?"

"To who…Samuel?" Emmett said angrily, angling himself in front of the door.

"If I need to get past you I can," Calli said calmly.

"Think about this Calli. Think about what you're doing," Carlisle pleaded. "You're having a difficult time, I know that…but you don't have to do this. This isn't the right way."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said in that same emotionless tone. "I'm going for a walk."

"What about Jacob Calli?"

He expected to see some kind of emotion from her. A look, a wince, some kind of expression. But there was nothing.

"You'll have to fight to get past us," Emmett said firmly. "Are you really prepared to do that?"

She looked around at all of them. They moved slowly to surround her.

She looked down at the ground for a full minute before turning her eyes up to Carlisle.

"Sorry about this guys," she said quietly.


	66. Chapter 65 Gone

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- Thanks so much for all of your reviews, I love hearing what you guys think as you read the story. So many people are unhappy with Calli...which is to be expected...the end is getting closer...I hope you all will like it. Enjoy!**

* * *

They all stared at Calli carefully, preparing themselves for what was about to happen.

And then she was gone. The place she had been standing in was empty. She had disappeared right in front of their eyes.

"What the hell?!" Emmett roared, looking around the room quickly.

"I knew it!" Alice shouted, looking at Carlisle. "I told you she just disappeared!"

Carlisle ran to the front door and threw it open. He ran down the lawn and looked around.

But she wasn't there. He ran through the trees for a few minutes, but there was no sign of her. When he got back to the porch Jasper and Rosalie had joined them.

"She went to him…didn't she?" Esme asked sadly.

"Yes," Carlisle said. "I believe she did."

"What happened to her?" Alice murmured.

"I think she just thought she needed…someone who understood," Carlisle mused. "Samuel is the only one who is like her. I don't even think he tried to…get her. I think she sought him out."

"What now?" Emmett said. "Do we look for her?"

"We wouldn't even know where to start," Carlisle answered. "We have no way to track either of them."

"So what? We just do nothing?"

"We wait," Carlisle sighed. "That's all we can do. And…we tell Jacob."

"Jacob," Esme murmured.

* * *

As soon as Jacob walked through the door he could feel something was wrong. He didn't even need to look at all their faces.

But when he did, he saw that their expressions were grim.

"What is it?" he asked hesitantly.

Carlisle looked up at him with a pained expression before rising from the couch. He walked over and stood in front of him.

"She's gone Jacob," he said quietly.

"Gone? What do you mean she's gone?" he asked in a panic.

"She came downstairs today, and she said she was going to go for a walk. I knew…I looked at her…and I knew she was leaving. We told her she would have to get past us. We surrounded her…but she just…disappeared."

"Disappeared?!"

"She vanished Jacob," Alice spoke up, standing also. "Just like what I told you happened that day…she was standing right in front of us, and then she just…vanished."

"No!" he roared. "No! She would not go to him! Not Calli…"

"She's not the same Calli anymore Jacob," Carlisle interrupted. "You know that…I know that."

"I don't care! She wouldn't just go to him! I know her better than that! Even if she is different!"

"Do you really believe that Jacob?" Carlisle asked somberly.

Jacob looked into his eyes for a moment before turning away. "Damnit!" he screamed. He paced back and forth a few times, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"Now what?" he finally spoke up.

"I don't know that there's anything we can do," Carlisle said sadly. "Except…wait. And hope she comes back."

"No!" Jacob fumed. "No! He has to be close. They have to be close! How long ago was this?" he demanded.

"About an hour ago."

"Then I go looking. I hunt him down. I'll take some of the others with me." He walked quickly to the phone and picked it up.

"Emily, is Sam there?" he demanded harshly a few moments after typing in the number. "Do you know where he is? When did he leave? Ok. Alright. Thanks."

He hung up and dialed another number quickly.

"Can I speak to Quil please? He's not? I was just with him a little bit ago, he said he was going home. He did?" Jacob's expression became confused as he listened. "Ok, thanks," he said hurriedly, before hanging up and punching in another number.

"Is Embry there? How long ago did he leave? You're sure? Ok, bye."

He hung up and dialed another number, this time a little slower.

"Sue, where are Leah and Seth? That's what I thought. Thanks."

He hung up the phone again and set it down slowly, looking bewildered.

"What is it Jacob?" Carlisle demanded.

Jacob looked up and met his questioning gaze. "They all left…about an hour ago."

* * *

"Calli," Samuel said softly.

"Hello," she replied.

"It was only a matter of time," he said with a small smile.

"I guess it was…I just didn't know then."

He took a few steps closer to her, then stopped.

"When I first started noticing what was going on with you, I wasn't sure what to make of it. I've never seen anyone have the kind of trouble you did. Your powers acting up, not being able to control them, not being able to close your mind. I've never seen it happen before."

Her face became confused. "But I thought…"

"I know the feelings you're experiencing though. The battle raging inside of you. I do remember feeling that way for a brief amount of time. I can understand. And I can understand the…loneliness you feel, like no one else could possibly know what you're going through…because there's no one else like you."

"And I did have some trouble with my powers in the beginning. Nowhere near the problems you're having, but I did have some. And I have my theories as to why your troubles have been so much worse."

He took a few steps closer. "The fact still remains that you were made to be mine, even if the connection did change. And I think you had the problems you had because you strayed from me. Because you did not come as you were intended to do. Not to mention that your mind is weak, unlike mine."

"It feels weak," she murmured.

He smiled. "It's not your fault my dear. You were not meant to be stronger than me. You are not the dominant one here."

"I know."

"I must say I was very shocked when you began reaching out to me. Your connection to them was strong. I was beginning to think it could not be broken."

Calli frowned. "I still…care about them. But they're not you. They just…they don't know…they have no idea," she stammered, taking a few steps closer.

"You were not meant to be with them. You were meant to be with me. Your love for him…it would have faded anyway. It could not compare to you and I."

"It was just so…hard. To be all alone. To feel so isolated."

"You will be with me now," he said firmly. "And I am like you."

"Yes…you are like me," she murmured.

"And now you have left them," he said happily.

She just nodded.

"This works out very well. While a fight would have been very exciting, it was becoming a bit of a hassle. None of those I changed lived! I can't imagine why! I mean, there have been many who have not survived…but all of them…" He trailed off, looking thoughtful.

After a few moments he finally shook his head. "It is of no consequence now. You are here, there is no need to fight."

"So…what now?"

"Now…you must be retrained. Your mind has been corrupted by those…fools. Now you see how _I_ live…and you conform."

She nodded.

"And they are never to be in your life again. I will refrain from killing them, because I know you do not wish to see them die…but you may never see them again."

She swallowed hard. "I know."

"And with time, your mind will become stronger, your powers will become easier…you will most likely be to my caliber."

"I…didn't think…"

"That you would ever come to me?" he supplied, laughing.

She nodded hesitantly.

"I'll admit, I had my doubts. But it was only a matter of time. And you know this is right, do you not?"

She finally smiled. "Yes. I know I'm exactly where I need to be," she said firmly.

"You always belonged with me," he said, walking up and standing just in front of her. He reached out and touched her cheek softly, staring into her eyes.

His gaze softened as he spoke. "You know…I do believe you're the first person I've ever really cared for. That I've ever really…desired. I do believe that there's…actually some part of me that truly…loves you," he murmured.

She smiled at him. "I know," she said softly, taking a step closer and placing her hand on his shoulder.

Jacob ran into the trees and phased quickly. He listened carefully. They were all reciting random things, nothing that would help him.

And then it happened. One of them slipped. And he knew.

He phased back and threw his shorts on, running back to the lawn where they all waited.

"Let's go, now!" he yelled. "I know where they are."

He broke into a run, with the others following behind.


	67. Chapter 66 Almost Impossible

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you are all having a great holiday, and I wish you and your families the very best! I hope that my near the ending has gotten you all a little confused (it appears so from the reviews that I've been getting) and I promise the next few chapters will ease that confusion. Thanks so much to everyone for reading, your guys' support has made it a lot more fun to write. Also, just a little fun fact...this story is actually longer than Twilight, Eclipse, and New Moon...that seriously blows my mind! Anyways...enjoy!**

* * *

"Where are we going Jacob?" Carlisle yelled.

"The reservation!" he shouted back.

"What! We can't go…"

"Yes you can!" he interrupted.

When they got there Jacob stopped short. He wasn't really prepared for how it would make him feel, actually seeing it.

He looked around the clearing. His mind went back to that night, and he imagined Calli lying on the ground with a gash in her neck. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. When he opened them he finally noticed them. The whole pack, phased, standing in a circle. He ran into the trees and stripped his shorts off, phasing quickly.

_What the hell is this Sam? _he demanded as he ran back out.

_I'm sorry Jake. I had to do this,_ Sam replied, looking back at him but never moving, never breaking the tight circle the pack formed.

_Had to do what? What the hell is going on?_

* * *

"You're drained," Samuel said softly.

"Yes," Calli replied.

"I'm surprised that with the trouble you've been having with your powers that you were able to get here."

She smiled slightly. "I had to get here."

His hand still remained on her cheek, hers on his shoulder. "Yes…there is some part of me that does love you. Quite new…quite strange."

"I know," she repeated.

She stared into his eyes for a long time before speaking again. "That makes this harder," she whispered. "Almost impossible…" She paused. "Almost."

She saw him give her a strange look before she shut her eyes tightly. She concentrated harder than she ever had before.

When she went to open her eyes it felt like her eyelids weighed a ton. She knew that she was more drained then she had ever been. But she needed to focus harder now than she ever had.

She caught sight of some of the pack before falling to the ground. She heard Samuel roar in anger. She heard several loud growls. But she forced herself to focus on his mind. On the parts of it she knew she needed to control.

She had to make sure he couldn't disappear. She had to try and make sure he didn't use any kind of object. She had to try and block his control over the weather. She had to block the right parts of his mind. She knew she couldn't block it all. Even if she weren't so completely drained, she might not be able to block his entire mind. But if she could focus on the right parts, they could finish this.

"You lied!" she heard Samuel scream in frustration just as she flew through the air.

Her body hit something hard and she groaned as she slammed into whatever it was and slumped to the ground. She was so drained. She felt like she had absolutely nothing left. There was nothing else inside of her to finish this. She wouldn't be able to do it.

No! She would. She had fought too hard for it. She had done too much. Just a little while longer, and it would all be over.

Her body rose from the ground once again and she hurtled into something else. She was pretty sure it was the wolves she was hitting. When she landed back on the ground she felt a terrible pain in her chest, like something was crushing her.

But she focused as hard as she could on the parts of his mind she needed to. She didn't care about the pain, she didn't care what happened. She just needed to focus. Just a little bit longer, and it would be done.

She felt everything become hazy as she flew through the air once again. This time she knew it was a tree that she slammed into. But she was glad he was focusing on her. If he was focusing on her, then he wasn't focusing on them.

She just kept concentrating as hard as she could. And when she felt the blackness begin to envelope her, she prayed that it was enough.

_

* * *

_

_You weren't supposed to be here Jake. I promised…_

_What in the hell is going on? What do you mean you promised? Promised who? What?_

And then it happened. If Jacob hadn't been actually facing the circle he wouldn't have believed it. But he was, and he saw it just as it happened.

Calli and Samuel appeared right in the middle of it. Her eyes were closed, her hand on his shoulder. His hand was on her cheek, and he had a puzzled expression on his face.

But that look quickly turned to anger as he looked around and saw where he was. Calli's eyes fluttered open, looking heavy, just as she began falling to the ground.

Samuel let out a loud roar, which was met by several growls from the pack. They began closing in around him, but some of them looked a little hesitant as they approached him.

"I will kill you all," he heard Samuel hiss, looking at them carefully.

But nothing happened. A few of them actually stopped when he made his threat, waiting for something to happen. But nothing did.

Jacob saw Calli lying on the ground. Her eyes weren't really focused on anything in particular, but they were focused all the same. She was blocking him. He knew she was. Because Samuel focused a steely glare on several of the wolves…but nothing happened.

"You lied!" Samuel shouted, just as Calli's body rose from the ground and flew though the air.

She hit Embry hard. He saw Embry try to scramble out of the way, but he was too late. Her body slumped down to the ground once again.

And then Leah ripped Samuel's arm off. It seemed like everything was happening in slow motion. He knew this was all happening in a matter of seconds, but it felt like he was watching on a tape, slowing it down with a remote. And he felt rooted in place, as if he was unable to move.

Samuel let out a strangled cry and Calli's body flew through the air once again, this time into Seth. She crumpled to the ground.

In Seth's attempt to get around her one of his paws landed directly on her chest. He saw her body writhe in pain.

And that's when everything really hit him. The pack was in a circle. They were tearing Samuel apart. Quil had just taken off Samuel's other arm. He was letting out strangled cries, sometimes roaring in frustration. His powers weren't working on any of them, and it was only going to be a matter of moments before he was killed.

But his powers were working on Calli. She was in the middle of the circle too.

Just then her body shot through the air, out of the circle, and slammed into a tree.

But her eyes still held that determined, focused look. She looked at nothing, but he knew what she was doing. She was blocking him. She was blocking him so the pack could kill him. And she was dying for it.

He saw her eyes finally close just as Sam ripped Samuel's head off.

Time finally seemed to come back into focus. It no longer moved slowly, and now he was in the moment. It had taken mere minutes. And he had been rooted in place, never moving. He had done nothing.

And Calli lay on the ground, unmoving. He rushed into the trees and phased back.

"Calli!" he heard Carlisle yell as he threw on his shorts. He ran out of the trees and directly to her.

The Cullen's surrounded her. Carlisle was bent over, examining her. Jacob moved toward her quickly.

"Please don't touch her," Carlisle choked out. "Her body is…much different than ours. I'm not sure what kind of damage we might do if we…she has many broken bones."

"Is she…" He choked up, unable to finish.

"She is breathing," Carlisle said firmly. "Just as she does when she sleeps," he added softly. "She's not dead."

"We can't leave her here," Alice said quickly. "We don't know how long it will take until she wakes up. We need to move her."

Sam came up behind them. "Leah ran home to get Sue's truck and some blankets. We can move her with that."

"Carlisle, if her bones are broken…" Rosalie began.

"She'll be able to heal them," he interrupted, his voice shaking slightly. "When she…wakes up…she can heal them."

"What about…Samuel…" Esme said, looking over shoulder.

"He is dead. They're…taking care of his remains now," Sam answered.

Jacob leaned down and pressed his hand lightly to Calli's cheek. Even unconscious, she looked so tired somehow. Drained.

She looked dead. More dead than she ever had.

"We need to be extremely careful when we move her," Carlisle said just as Leah pulled up. "We need to try and keep her body in the same position it is in now, with as little movement as possible."

Jacob felt a hand on his shoulder.

"We need to move her now Jacob. Come on," Carlisle said softly.

Jacob, all of the Cullen's, and Sam placed their hands gingerly under her limp body.

"Lift her on three," Carlisle said. "One, two, three."

They lifted slowly and lay her on the blankets that covered the bed of the truck. They set her down carefully.

"Tell Leah to drive very slowly," Carlisle told Sam. "The rest of us can stay back here with her and make sure she doesn't move."

Jacob climbed carefully into the bed of the truck and positioned himself near Calli's head. She was on her side, the same position she had been in the last time she hit the ground. The other's piled in and surrounded Calli, holding her firmly but gently in place.

What would have normally been a five minute drive took more than twenty as Leah inched along, being careful not to make any sudden movements. When they reached the house they lifted Calli slowly out of the truck and into the house. They walked up the stairs very carefully. When Jacob reached her door he kicked it open. They brought her to the bed and set her down softly.

Jacob stood there, standing over her, just staring. He wasn't sure how long it had been when he turned around and saw that everyone had left them alone. He turned to face Calli again.

Her face and arms were covered in dirt, as were her clothes. There was dirt and leaves tangled in her hair, which was matted all around her face. There were cuts all over her face and arms, and she had a gash above her left eye, as well as one on her right arm.

Finally he pulled away from her and walked quickly downstairs. Sam was standing close to the door. He walked right in front of him and stared him down.

"What the hell happened today?" he demanded.


	68. Chapter 67 The Ends Justify The Means

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series. _**

**A/N- Thanks so much for reading and for the wonderful reviews...I really appreciate it! This ought to take care of whatever confusion is left. Enjoy!**

* * *

Sam looked at Jacob warily.

"What the hell happened out there? What was that?!"

Sam sighed.

"We've been waiting for you to come down so that perhaps Sam could explain this to us," Carlisle said calmly. "Why don't we all sit down?"

Sam walked past Jacob and went to take a seat on the couch, as did the others. All but Jacob, who chose to stand just a few feet away from Sam, glaring.

"Jacob?" Carlisle persisted.

"I don't want to sit," he growled. "I want an explanation."

Sam sighed again. "I don't know everything. But I'll tell you what I do know."

"Calli called me awhile back…it was right after…she bit you. She told me she needed to talk to me. Asked me to meet her. I tried to figure out why over the phone, but…she just said it was really important and that we needed to meet. It was the day you were at the doctor with Billy Jacob."

"We met…on the reservation. In the clearing where we just were…where she was bitten," he said softly. "She told me that she had had a vision of the fight…the night she bit you, she had it. She told me the fight couldn't go that way. That too many would die…that she needed to do something before that."

"Did she explain the vision to you? Did she tell you what would happen?" Carlisle asked.

"No. Just that a lot would die…some of…the pack."

"She told me she hadn't had any visions," Carlisle mumbled.

"Yeah…she mentioned that," Sam said warily. "I asked her why she hadn't discussed this with you Jake. She said that for it to work…you couldn't know. She said she was going to go on like the fight would take place. But that she would…do this before it actually happened."

"She told me she would get Samuel to that clearing one day…probably soon. She said she'd let me know right before she did it. She wanted me to have the pack there and ready. That when she got him there it would only be him, and that she would be blocking him…and that then we could kill him."

"Did she tell you how she was going to get him there?" Carlisle asked.

"Just that it would take a lot out of her, and that she probably wouldn't be able to block him for any significant amount of time. She was very clear that we needed to form a circle, even showed me the exact area to do it in. She said when they…showed up, it would be in the middle of that circle. She told me that we needed to…attack him immediately…even if…" he hesitated. "Even if she were right there. She said she knew she wouldn't be able to hold him off for too long and that we needed to kill him right away…and not to worry about what happened to her."

Jacob began breathing quickly and balled his fists at his sides. "And you just went along with this?" he fumed. "You saw her out there, she almost…" He became choked up and stopped.

"She told me…she said she might die Jake," Sam said softly. "But she said the visions she had of the fight…that they were really bad…that we would lose too many. She said if she did die, there would be no fight. And if she didn't, then we would kill him then and there still would be no fight. She said she wasn't even sure if she could make it to the clearing…that it might take too much and she wouldn't be able to do it. But she said…she had to try."

Alice moaned quietly. "I…called her selfish," she practically whispered. "I called her a brat. And this whole time…"

"You couldn't have known," Jasper said comfortingly. "None of us did."

"She said that she couldn't tell you Jake…because you would only think about her. That she knew…that I would think about the pack."

Jacob began pacing, clenching and unclenching his hands quickly.

"How did she let you know it would be today?" Esme asked.

"She called me this afternoon. Just over an hour before it happened. She told me to get everyone together and that it would probably be within the hour."

"How did she get to him? Get him to go?" Jacob demanded.

"That I don't know. She said she didn't want to give me details…she didn't want to take the chance that…you might hear it in my thoughts. That the more I knew the harder it might be. She told me not to tell the rest of the pack. To just get them together when the time came."

"I can't believe you did this!" Jacob fumed. "You went behind my back! You knew what could happen…that she could die, and you did it anyway!"

"I had to do…what I thought was best for the pack Jake," he answered quietly. "If you…if you had seen her face when she said the visions were bad…that's all I needed. She looked horrified."

"So you were ok with her just sacrificing herself?"

Sam stood up. "What do you think she would have done if I had said no? You know exactly what she would have done…she just would have gone after him herself. She told me she didn't think she could tear him apart…that she…just couldn't. But if I had said no…she still would have tried."

"She…" Jacob began angrily.

"He's right Jacob," Carlisle interrupted gently. "Calli planned out this whole thing. Carefully, obviously. If Sam had said no she would have just found another way."

"I don't get it," Emmett spoke up. "Is this why she was acting the way she was? I'm just not getting it."

"To make him believe it…I had to make you believe it," she said softly.

They all whirled around. Calli was walking slowly down the stairs, leaning her body on the railing.

"Calli!" Jacob exclaimed as he ran to her. As soon as he reached her she collapsed into his arms. He held her tightly to him for a long time.

When he finally pulled away his face looked angry.

"Just…get me to the couch please," she said quietly before he could say anything. "I'll explain."

He looked at her for just a second before making his way to the couch, holding her tightly to him. She leaned all her weight into him until they got to the couch. When they did she collapsed down onto it, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. Jacob sat down next to her.

She sat that way for a minute, no one saying anything. Finally, she smiled widely, her eyes still closed.

"Calli?" Carlisle questioned.

"It's…over," she said, still smiling. She made no move to lean forward or open her eyes. "It's over."

Jacob reached out and put his hands to the sides of her face. Her eyes opened and she raised her head.

"What did you do Calli!?" he demanded anxiously. "Do you know how stupid that was?! You almost got killed!"

She smiled at him. "But I didn't."

"But you almost did! And you knew you might!"

"How do you feel Calli?" Carlisle asked gently.

"I hurt like hell. I had…a lot of broken bones."

"You were able to heal them all?"

She frowned. "I wasn't sure I would be able to. I'm…pretty weak. But I did."

"Does it hurt?" Esme asked.

"Yes," Calli said. "Not so much anymore. But the relief overshadows the pain. To finally…be done."

Emmett grinned at her. "You were lying!" he accused.

"Mmmm…I prefer the word faking," she grinned back.

Jacob jumped up from the couch. "Calli?!" he shouted.

She sighed. "Please calm down Jacob. I'll explain now, ok?"

"Fine, explain," he snapped as he began pacing back and forth.

She sighed. "The night…that I bit you," she winced as she said it. "I had a vision of the fight. Samuel…ended up dying, along with all the others he made. But…so did…others."

"Who would have…who did you see dying?" Carlisle asked.

She swallowed hard. Her eyes went up and met Sam's first. "Leah…Seth…Collin…" Her eyes moved around the room. "Alice…Emmett…" Her eyes landed on Carlisle. "Esme," she said softly.

Carlisle winced.

Her eyed met Jacob's. "And Jacob," she finished in barely more than a whisper.

"Visions aren't always accurate!" Jacob said angrily.

Calli shook her head. "I wasn't taking the chance. In my vision it wasn't just half breeds with Samuel. He found a vampire too, and that vampire…changed people. It…it would have been awful."

"Did Samuel have these same visions?" Alice asked.

"No. I don't even really understand how our visions work. Sometimes they just come. I don't think he had any about the fight."

"So you decided to…what?" Emmett asked. "Pretend to go to Samuel?"

She sighed. "It had to be done just right. I was having a few problems with my powers. My mind had opened a few random times. Once when it opened, I think he saw the…" she shot a glance at Jacob, who was watching her, arms crossed, "…guilt I felt after biting him. But he took it as something else. He saw how I was feeling with my powers being kind of funny. He thought I was losing control."

"So you played on that," Carlisle supplied.

Calli smiled. "Samuel only has two weaknesses." She frowned. "Had, I guess," she amended softly. "His arrogance being the biggest. As soon as he thought I was losing control, he automatically assumed I wasn't strong enough to handle everything. And that's when it came to me. If he thought I was totally spiraling, that I was losing it…I might be able to…gain his trust. Make him think that I couldn't handle it…that I needed him."

"Needed him? What do you mean?" Esme asked.

"Samuel struggled in the beginning just like I did…with those feelings of losing control. He just didn't care for very long, and he gave in to them. He also was very lonely for a time…when there was no one like him to explain to him what was happening, when no one understood what he was going through."

She paused. "So I made him think that not only was I losing control…but that I was angry that no one understood what I was going through. I needed to…"

"Identify with him," Carlisle interrupted.

"Yes," she said softly.

"Jeez," Emmett said, "we just thought you were turning into a moody brat."

Calli smiled. "Well thanks."

Her eyes turned to Jacob, who still looked angry. "You should have told us something," he said.

She shook her head back and forth a few times. "You don't understand Jacob. You weren't the only ones who had to believe it. I did too. When I told Carlisle that my mind was open all the time…I wasn't lying. I kept it open. I made him think I had gotten to a point where I couldn't control it at all. And if it was open all the time I could never be thinking about it."

"How did you plan it then?" Carlisle asked.

"During the time that I made him believe my mind was opening and closing randomly…which it was for awhile. As soon as it would close, I would try to plan every detail. Then when it would open…or, eventually, when I would open it…I had to push it away. I had to be a…moody brat, not just act like one." She sighed. "I didn't think I would have enough control. I felt like I was actually going insane."

"And he fell for it?" Jasper spoke up.

"I think he was very…suspicious at first. But I made it escalate slowly. At first I was just annoyed that my powers were acting up, then they were acting up so much it was making me go crazy. Then I started to get to the point where I couldn't handle it anymore. Then I started acting moody and bitter because supposedly I felt like no one understood. He saw that, and mixed with your guys' reactions…he began to believe it."

"He saw me pull away from all of you. He saw us arguing, disagreeing. He saw the way you were beginning to feel towards me." She frowned. "Then he saw me lose it and…throw you Alice. And he bought it. I knew…that he was ready."

"Samuel seemed too smart for something like that," Jasper said. "It's hard to believe he just bought it all."

"You have to remember, he wasn't just seeing the outward appearance…he was in my head. My head was a whole other story. I made my thoughts….just a jumbled mess. I let myself…become that. A lot of the time I felt like I was actually going crazy. Like it was all really happening to me. And that's why he bought it…because I got so deep into it."

"How did you figure out you could disappear?" Carlisle asked

"That day that Alice was with me, Samuel closed his mind off to me. I knew he had disappeared before, and that I needed to try. So as soon as he closed himself I did it. It…drained me so much that I just stayed where I was for hours, recouping. Yesterday, after that whole incident out front, after I came into my room, I tried it again. This time I managed to get myself there and back before I was done for."

"You only did it twice before?" Carlisle asked incredulously.

She nodded.

"What happened when you got to him?" Alice asked.

"I stayed talking to him for awhile, trying to rest as much as I could. The next time I had to get him and me to the clearing, and I knew it would drain me a lot."

"What did he say to you?" Carlisle questioned.

Calli was quiet for a second. "I was Samuel's other weakness," she said softly. "As arrogant, as unfeeling as he was…" She shot a glance at Jacob. "Some part of him loved me. I knew that. He told me that. Explained that I was having all of my 'trouble' because I hadn't come to him."

She paused. "I took as much time as I dared. And then I brought us…to the clearing."

"How did you manage to block him if it drained you so badly?"

She sighed. "That's a good question. I don't know. I felt like I wasn't going to be able to do it. I tried to just focus on blocking certain things. Like his ability to disappear, his ability to move objects. I think that's why he…moved me so much. I didn't even try to block that. I figured if he was concentrating on me he'd be distracted from them."

"You knew you could have died," Jacob spoke up quietly.

She looked at him carefully before answering. "What would you have done if you'd had a vision of me dying Jacob? How far would you have gone?"

He opened his mouth, angry.

But she beat him to it. "You would have just risked the fight, right? Risked all those people dying…risked me dying?"

He just looked at her.

"No. You wouldn't have Jacob. You would have done whatever you had to do. You would have done anything. Do you think that I wouldn't?"

"You lied…to me, to all of us."

"Technically, I didn't lie. No one came and said 'Hey Calli, are you plotting against Samuel?' No one even asked if I was going to him."

"But you knew we thought that!"

"Yes, and he saw that you thought that, and it made him believe it more! I needed him to buy it completely." She sighed. "Sometimes…the ends do justify the means Jacob."

She stood up, swaying slightly on her feet. Then she walked slowly to Jacob. As soon as she was in front of him he grabbed her arm to steady her.

"Jacob," she began softly, "my vision would have been right."

He opened his mouth to speak, but she pressed her fingers to his lips, and he quickly closed it.

"It would have," she repeated firmly. "I know I scared you, and I know that I upset you. And I'm sorry. I did what I thought I had to do. Acting the way I did, with you…with everyone…but especially with you…was _so_ hard. It hurt me. It hurt me even more that I was hurting you. But if we had gone into that fight…I would have lost you. And others would have been lost too. I couldn't do that. I couldn't risk it."

"You almost died out there," he whispered, bringing his face close to hers. "I…couldn't even move. I…I just…"

"Don't think about what almost happened. Think about what did happen. Samuel died in minutes. No one else died, there was no big fight. And now it's over. It's done. And we'll never, ever have to worry about it again."

"If you…ever do something like that again…" He trailed off, shaking his head.

She held up her hand as if taking an oath. "You can beat me up…promise," she grinned.

He shook his head again, but his mouth twitched up into a small smile.

"Calli," Carlisle spoke up.

She turned, leaning her body into Jacob and almost collapsing into him. He walked her over to the couch and she sat, pulling him down beside her.

"So you never actually lost control of your powers, did you?"

She winced slightly. "Ok…I guess I did lie. Not really. But my mind was opening up sometimes! I added the other stuff."

"How did you know to do…everything you did to convince him?"

"I was in his head…I knew him pretty well."

"What you did…was…so dangerous. And so brave. You saved a lot of lives with what you did. It was…amazing."

"No…not amazing," she said softly. "It was just…what I had to do."

"Calli…did Samuel really try to change seven others?" Carlisle asked.

Calli hung her head. "Nine," she almost whispered. "It was up to nine."

"Did the other two live?"

She shook her head.

"What happened to them Calli?"

She was quiet for a long time, everyone just staring at her.

"Calli?"

She finally looked up and met Carlisle's gaze. "I couldn't stop him from biting them," she finally said quietly. "I…wish I could have. But it wouldn't have worked if I had."

"And?" Carlisle persisted.

"Their…lives would have been miserable if they had lived through their ascension. Samuel would have controlled them completely until he was done with them, and then he would have killed them…or they would have all died in the fight. I wouldn't have been able to block them all."

"Did you kill them Calli?" Esme asked incredulously.

Calli shook her head vehemently. "I did not kill them. I…I guess everyone who ascends goes…out for a period of time. Not as long as me…but they still do. And Samuel's not completely connected to them during it." She paused. "They woke up in their heads, just like I did. When that happened…I just…convinced them to go the other way. It's a choice...I…helped them choose."

"And Samuel never knew?" Carlisle probed.

"He wasn't even paying attention to me, and his connection with them wasn't too strong during that time. He…had no idea."

Everyone was silent.

"I…didn't kill them," Calli murmured softly.

"Of course you didn't," Carlisle said.

Calli took a deep breath, her face changing from sad to determined. "I did what I had to do. I know that. I…did what I had to."


	69. Chapter 68 One Moment

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- As the story comes to a close, there was one more issue I needed to tackle. Here it is. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Sometimes I almost feel guilty," Calli said quietly.

Carlisle raised an eyebrow. "Guilty. Why?"

"I know I had to kill him to save others. And I know what I did was right…with him and…all the others. But sometimes…when I think about everything I did to trick him, to gain his trust just to turn around and…I know what he was, that he was terrible and did terrible things. But…"

"You were very close to him. It's normal to feel something like this. But as long as you know, and always know, that what you did was right, it will be ok. I don't think what you're feeling is guilt so much as a little bit of sadness.

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yeah, I guess."

Carlisle shook his head. "The fact that you were able to pull that off…do you know what kind of…control, dedication something like that takes? You altered your entire self, your mind even, to do it. That is nothing short of amazing."

She looked up at the ceiling. "I should win an academy award," she said, looking back at him and grinning. She shook her head. "I…didn't think I would be able to do it. It was so hard…and watching all of you…what it was doing to you."

Carlisle smiled. "You were very convincing."

"I'm just…so happy it's over. So, so happy."

"So did you ever actually feel out of control? Like you were fighting?"

She sighed. "Always. I was always fighting. But…" She smiled at him. "I always knew I was winning. And that I always would."

He smiled back at her, and they remained silent for awhile.

"Jacob is with his father I assume?"

"No…Sam. He needed some help with his car."

"And how are things with you two?"

She sighed. "Better. I knew…that it would be harder on him than anyone. But…I think he's starting to understand better why I had to do what I did. And now…all the crap is just gone. Well," she rolled her eyes. "Almost all of it."

"Ahhh…our visitors. They're still set to arrive tomorrow night?"

"Yep," she said as she stood up. "Should be pretty interesting."

"And I assume it's still looking pretty uneventful."

She grinned. "They won't do anything. They'll get a little show, I'll show her to them…and they'll put up a little bit of an argument before leaving. That's it though."

"You're going to…see him now?"

Calli sighed. "Yeah."

"What will you say to him?"

"That is a very good question." She began walking to the door. "Maybe I'll tell him I'm starting a circus freak show and ask him to join me on the road."

Carlisle chuckled, shaking his head. "It's…very refreshing having you back Calli."

"Yep, I'm just a laugh a minute," she grinned as she walked out the door. She walked down the stairs to find Alice and Emmett.

"Are you sure you want to do this by yourself Calli?" Alice asked.

"I think I'd better."

"We can go with you," Emmett said.

Calli smiled. "I know. But it's not going to be a big deal. Just in and out."

Alice sighed. "Alright…if you're sure."

"I'll see you when I get back."

"Hurl a ham at him or something!" Emmett called out as she made her way to her car.

Calli laughed, shaking her head. She got behind the wheel and started the car. She drove quickly, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible.

She hadn't thought too much about the time leading up to Samuel's death, and his death itself. She finally felt like she wasn't completely insane anymore…she didn't want to sit there and remember feeling completely insane.

But she thought about him a lot. About what she had done to him. About what must have been running through his mind as he was being killed. She wondered what thoughts flashed across his mind, the mind of a man who had lived hundreds of years, who had seen countless things.

She wondered if he had been hurt by what she had done. Because he had cared about her, she knew that much. And he had loved her. He had, for the most part, been a cruel, unfeeling man. But there was something inside of him that had once had the chance of being good.

But he never had anyone. Never. She thought she had probably seen a lot of the memories his mind held. But she knew she had seen all of those from his childhood. Those were the ones that brought him pain, and were on his mind frequently. And when they had begun to bond, or when he had assumed they had begun to bond, he had showed her a lot of his mind.

Whether he thought it would help bring her in or whether he just needed someone to see them, someone to know, she wasn't sure. Maybe a little bit of both. But he had opened himself up.

And she had seen those images. Images of a mother who regarded her son with no real love, just weariness and hostility. Images of the coven that had looked at him as more of a pet than a person. Who hadn't really wanted to take care of him, but rather observe him.

A part of her had felt for him. But she had known he needed to die. There was a part of him that once could have been good. But that part of him was long gone, she had known that.

And she felt a little guilty, but the relief, the freedom she felt now that he was gone was amazing, and it really did overshadow her guilt. Because now she felt like she could move on with her life. She and Jacob could move on with their lives.

And Samuel had given her this. This moment that she was both terrified and unbelievably excited for. The one image in Samuel's mind that she had needed to see most of all.

She parked outside of the deli that sat in the same complex as the grocery store and just stayed in the car for a few minutes, finding herself unable to move. When she finally did get out she stood quite a ways back from the door, looking in the window hesitantly.

She saw two customers inside and waited outside until the last one had walked out. Then she took a deep breath and walked in the door.

She heard the bell ding and looked behind the counter, but there was no one there. And then he walked out, wiping his hands off on his white apron. He smiled at her as she stared into his friendly face.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

She continued staring, saying nothing. He looked back at her for a long time before speaking again.

"Did you need something?"

She cleared her throat, looking down at the ground briefly before looking back up. "Your daughter must look like her mother," she said softly.

"I'm sorry?" he said. "Are you a…friend of Jaqie's?"

She smiled. "Yeah. I am. And you're Mr. Francis, right?"

He smiled back. "Yes I am."

She hesitated. "James Francis?"

"Uh, yes."

"Do you…know who I am?" she asked.

"Well…you look familiar." He stared at her, scrutinizing for a minute, before his face lit up with comprehension. "Oh! You're on Jaqie's dance team, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. My name's Calli."

He chuckled. "Well, now I feel pretty dumb. Jaqie went on and on and on about you and I didn't even remember who you were. I even saw you once, at that big competition you guys did."

"You have…nice eyes," she said softly. He was tall, about six feet, with pale skin and dark green eyes. His hair was a sandy brown, with a little gray starting to run through it. He looked fairly athletic.

He frowned slightly. "Thank you."

"My last name…is Whinehouse," she said.

"Ok," he said slowly.

"That doesn't sound familiar?"

"Well…I'm sure Jaqie mentioned it before, but I don't remember things like that too well."

"Is Jaqie your only child?"

"Yes, she is. May I ask why you're asking me all these questions?"

"That's fair. Maybe this will answer it for you. My mother's name…is Mary Beth."

His brow furrowed. "Well, I'm afraid that doesn't really answer anything for…" He stopped speaking abruptly, his eyes widening and his jaw dropping. He leaned against the counter for support and just stared at Calli incredulously.

"It's all coming back now?" she murmured.

"I…Mary Beth…Whinehouse…it can't…" he sputtered in an anxious tone.

Calli gave him a small smile. "You have to admit…we do look a lot alike."

He shook his head back and forth slowly. "You…it can't…I…I heard…I mean I was…under the impression that…she wasn't going to keep the baby."

"You mean, you read her mind and heard she didn't want to keep me?"

If possible, his eyes got even wider. "I…how do you…know that?" he demanded.

"Let's just say…I know a lot more than you think I do."

He walked slowly to a chair and collapsed into it. "I can't believe this. I…never thought…"

"So you didn't even know I existed?"

He shook his head. "No…no, I didn't."

"Well, I guess that explains why you were never afraid of me ascending."

His eyes darted up to hers again. "How do you…I…I guess you do know a lot," he went on, looking down.

"So then will Jaqie ascend?"

He looked at her carefully before answering. "Yes…she will. I…when I was growing up my family was close to another family who was…like me too. Their daughter and I were together for a long time. But we had a falling out, and I left for a brief period of time. That's when I…I met your mother. When I found out that she had…gotten pregnant, and that she wasn't going to keep the baby, I decided I wanted to go back. She and I were back together immediately, and she got pregnant with Jaqie soon after. That's why you two are just a few months apart."

"So you…never really…loved my mother?" Calli asked hesitantly.

He sighed. "I…I'm sorry. The place in my life I was in at the time…I was young and stupid, I did dumb things."

They were both silent for a minute. "Do you…hate me?" he finally asked.

She gave him a small smile. "Up until just a few months ago, I knew nothing about you. Even then I only knew your name. And now I know…you didn't really leave me intentionally. No…I don't hate you. I don't even know you."

He cleared his throat. "How, uh…how is your mother?"

Calli's expression hardened slightly. "She…died a couple months ago."

His eyes widened again. "Died? How? She was so young!"

"She was…" She paused, and for a moment she contemplated telling him everything about her life, how she had grown up, what her mother had been like when she was a kid. "She was sick," she finally said.

He put his head in his hands. "I…I can't believe this. I never expected…anything like this. I never looked back…I…never thought I had to."

"And I'm guessing your family…doesn't know any of this."

He shook his head. "No. My wife doesn't have the same…ability I do. I never told her anything. Of course, Jaqie doesn't know either."

"So you can read minds then."

He nodded. "When I choose to, which I don't do often. Don't really like it. It's not as much fun as it sounds." He stared at her intently, his eyes narrowing, then jumped up. "A half breed!" he exclaimed. "I always thought that was a myth! You were…bitten?"

"Wow…that saved me a lot of explanation," she said, smiling.

"I…wow."

"You're uh…you're not really supposed to know all of this."

"You know, I've only seen a couple of the Cullen's once or twice, but I knew there was something off with them. But I figured, if I didn't know, it would be better, so I never…listened for any of them." He paused. "But don't worry. I'm used to secrets."

She sighed. "Look…I'm not looking to disrupt your life. I don't want anything here. I wanted to….talk to you a little, get a couple answers maybe…which I did. I'm not here because I want a relationship with you, or anything like that."

"Your life…it wasn't really very good," he said sadly.

She gave him a grim smile. "Damn. I kind of wanted to…keep that away."

"If I had known…I could have…done something…"

"You didn't know," she interrupted. "And no one can go back and change anything. And you know what? My life brought me exactly to where I needed to be."

"So…what now?"

"Now…I leave," she said quietly. "And our lives go on just like they did before."

"You…do look a lot like me," he said thoughtfully, a hint of sadness in his voice.

She smiled. "Bye James."

She turned away and walked to the door. But just as she opened it she paused and looked back to see him just staring after her. "You know," she began with a small smile. "I knew there had to be some underlying reason why I liked Jaqie so much."


	70. Chapter 69 Time

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- Yay! 800 reviews! That is so awesome...keep them coming, I love hearing what you guys think, especially since we're near the end. Thanks so much!**

* * *

Calli gave a small smile as she drove over the boundary line that didn't really exist anymore. Sure, the Cullen's still wouldn't come onto the reservation, she was sure of that. But things had changed between everyone. The two groups had pretty much combined twice now. While a lot of the pack members still weren't particularly fond of the Cullen's…or even her for that matter, there wasn't much animosity.

And it was made very clear to her that she was allowed on the reservation from now on. It made her feel better, was a bit of a relief. She didn't feel like she was separating Jacob from the rest of his life so much anymore.

Of course, the time would come, and not too far into the future, when he would be separating from them. They had talked about what was going to happen in the future, with the pack and Billy, and the Cullen's. They had decided that they would get married soon, a small ceremony that Alice was still trying to bombard with a million things Calli kept having to shoot down.

After the wedding the Cullen's would leave and go to Alaska. And, for the time being, Calli and Jacob would stay in Forks, in the house. They would have a few years to stay near Billy and the pack, a few years to live on their own and grow accustomed to each other. A few years where they could pull off still looking pretty young.

And then they would leave, and they would join the Cullen's. It almost felt like that would be the point in time where Calli's life as a vampire started. Because, as abnormal as her life had become after she had been bitten, it felt like, in the future, it was going to be so much different.

And she was scared about that. Not so much for her, but for Jacob. He had known the same people his whole life, grown up close with his family, and in just a couple years he was supposed to leave that life and begin an eternity of new identities and new lives with her. Sure, he could still call, maybe get away with visiting every once in awhile…but she was still afraid that he was beginning to realize just how much his life was going to change, and that he was having second thoughts.

Or, even if he wasn't thinking that way right now, she was afraid that after they started their life together he would start to regret what he had given up. Not so much a normal human life, a life with children and a normal wife, but a life that didn't include his family and friends the way it had in the past.

She could feel that Jacob was a little withdrawn from her lately, a little hesitant around her. And she couldn't blame him at all. She knew what she had done had really thrown him. But she didn't regret it. She would never regret it. The vision of the fight had been terrible. Seeing some of the Cullen's die was awful.

But when she had seen Jacob killed in the vision she felt like her heart was tearing. Sure, she knew that visions could change, that he wasn't actually dead, but seeing the possibility of him dying was too much. Right when she saw it, she knew she had to do something. Anything, so that Jacob wouldn't die. She didn't want anyone to die for her, the pack, the Cullen's, no one. But what she had done, as selfish as it sounded, she had really done for Jacob. He couldn't die. She couldn't let it happen.

And in the process she had hurt him. She knew that. As much as it hurt her that she had hurt him, she could deal with it. She just needed to know how much he was hurt. And if he could get past it. And he really hadn't talked to her about it much. So she didn't really know.

She pulled up to Sam's house and cut the engine. She saw Jacob look past the raised hood and over at her car. She got out slowly and walked toward where Jacob stood over the engine.

He was wearing a ragged pair of jeans and no shirt, and his arms were covered to his elbows in grease. He was sweaty from the unusually sunny day, his hair glistening in the light.

As soon as she saw him she stopped abruptly and swallowed hard. No one should look that good dirty and in disheveled clothes.

He stared right at her as she took in his appearance. "What?" he finally asked.

She shook her head. "Uh, nothing. Nothing."

"What are you doing here?"

She looked at him carefully. "Do you not want me here?"

He wiped his hands off on a dirty rag and leaned against the car. "No, no. I meant how did you know I was here?"

"Well, you did tell me you were helping Sam today. But I called Billy before to see if you were still here. And…you are."

He narrowed his eyes and looked up at the sun beating down on them, then quickly back to her. "You're out…in the sun. How?"

She smirked. "Have to use my little 'abilities' for something, don't I?"

He looked away at the trees. "Well, this is taking a lot longer than I thought it would."

"Yeah…about as long as Sue's truck took yesterday."

Jacob looked back at her. "Yeah, I guess," he murmured.

She sighed. "You could just tell me you don't want to be around me Jacob, you don't have to go fixing everyone's cars." She turned and began walking back to her car.

"Calli, wait!" he called. She heard him running up behind her and turned to face him just as she reached her car.

"Calli, it's not like that."

"Jacob…I'm not stupid. It's obvious you're avoiding me."

He went to speak but she held up her hand to stop him and continued. "I'm not mad at you," she sighed. "I knew that you would have trouble with everything. And I can't be mad at you because of it."

"I…Calli," he began, exasperated. "You…I thought that you…really had changed into a different person. At first I didn't think so. But at the end…I did. And now…even though I know you weren't that person sometimes it's just…hard. I just feel like I'm…still…figuring it all out."

She gave him a small smile. "If you need time…that's fine. Just tell me you need time. But Jacob…you need to figure everything out. We're supposed to get married in, like, two weeks. And then we have a whole lot of time together. And eventually…you'll run out of cars to fix."

She went up and kissed him quickly on the cheek. "Figure out what you want Jacob," she said quietly, then got into the car and pulled away.

* * *

Calli lay in the grass, swirling the leaves from the ground up into the air in a circle above her head.

"Pretty cool," Alice said as she walked up, sitting down just a few feet away from where Calli lay.

"I guess," she said absently.

"But you probably shouldn't do that where people might see."

She shrugged lightly. "I'll just erase anyone's memory if they see."

"Can you do that?" Alice asked incredulously.

"I don't know…probably. Maybe."

"So…Jacob didn't come over last night," she began hesitantly.

Calli sighed. "Nope."

"So…what has he been up to?"

She leaned up on her elbows and looked over at the trees. The leaves all fell down onto her. "Quickly becoming the hardest working mechanic in Washington," she said sharply.

Alice sighed. "He's just having a hard time with what happened. But he'll come around."

Calli dropped back down to the ground. "Yeah."

"You know he loves you Calli."

"Yes, I do know that," she said, beginning to swirl the leaves around overhead again. "I also know that he's sacrificing a whole lot to be with me…more than he knew before I think. I know that I hurt him, I know that he's questioning me."

"I know that he wants to be with you. Everyone knows that."

"He needs to know that. And right now…I'm not sure he does."

They were quiet for a few minutes before Alice stood up beside her. "Well, I'll uh…leave you alone now." She walked away and Calli floated more leaves into the air, spinning them around quickly.

"You must be bored," she heard his deep voice come from behind her a few minutes after Alice left. She sat up quickly, the leaves falling down onto her again, one landing in her mouth this time.

She spit it out quickly, wrinkling her face, and looked behind her to see Jacob standing just a few feet away.

He chuckled. "So this is what you've decided to use your abilities for?" he asked with a smile.

She smirked, standing up. "Well, I could use it to fix cars, but it looks like you've got them all covered, so…"

He walked to her slowly and stopped in front of her, brushing a lock of hair from her forehead. "It was never about figuring out what I want Calli," he said in a low voice. "That's always been you."

She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck and he pulled her close. She rested her head on his chest and sighed. "You haven't seemed too sure lately," she murmured.

He pulled away and looked down at her. "I have been having a…hard time with this. I guess that's pretty obvious. But I have never, ever questioned whether or not I want to be with you."

She looked up at him. "You kind of seem like you're…realizing a lot of things right now. Things are…really starting to change."

He smiled. "I don't care if things are going to change. You're going to be there, and that's all I care about."

"You…need to be sure Jacob," she said seriously. "Because we're supposed to get married really soon, and…"

"Trust me…I'm definitely not doing anything to change that," he interrupted with a grin.

She socked him lightly on the arm. "I'm serious."

He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "So am I Calli. I'm not going anywhere."

"Well…good," she said with a small smile.

He pulled her close to him again. "How did yesterday go?" he asked quietly.

She sighed. "Fine. Quick…which was how I wanted it."

"Are you sure that you don't want…I mean…he is…your dad. You don't even want to get to known him?"

She pulled away and looked up at him. "I guess…for my whole life I was kind of looking for something. But…" She smiled. "Now I have it. And I don't need anything else."

Jacob leaned down. "I love you," he said, and kissed her softly.


	71. Chapter 70 Visitors

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- So I think my brain is subconsciously fighting against finishing this story, lol. I have not been able to get anything out, even though I know exactly how it's ending. But I finally got a new chapter out, yay, even I'm excited! So I hope you like it, and thanks for waiting so patiently. Also, I've begun a new story that is an AU to this one...so go check it out, it's called Persuasion. Thanks!**

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Calli lay on the couch, her head in Jacob's lap, while he absently stroked her hair. Jacob's eyes were vaguely concentrating on the screen where Emmett and Jasper were having a video game battle.

Alice sat on the far end of the couch, her face scrunched up in concentration, while Carlisle and Esme sat side by side, his nose buried in a book.

"Still trying to see dear?" Esme directed gently at Alice.

Alice groaned. "This sucks. I can't see anything!"

"Calli told you that you wouldn't be able to," Carlisle said pointedly, his eyes never leaving the page.

"Still," she muttered under her breath.

Calli sat up abruptly. "Something's changing."

All eyes turned to her.

"What do you mean 'something's changing'?" Esme asked

"I keep getting the vision of them coming, but it's not going like before. Now it just ends when they start talking to me. I can't see what happens, and I can't see them leaving."

Carlisle frowned. "Is it possible that the same one that's blocking Alice is blocking you now too?"

Calli stood and shook her head. "No. He has to visualize them in his mind. He's seen Alice, so he can picture her…that's why he can block her. He's never seen me, they don't even know about me."

"Who cares," Emmett piped up. "They couldn't do anything to you, even if they wanted to. Not a big deal."

Calli sighed and looked down at Jacob again, her eyes pleading. "Jacob, it will…"

"No Calli," he interrupted firmly. "I'm not leaving."

"They don't know about the pack yet. And they don't have to. They won't be able to hurt me. I doubt they'll even try."

"I don't care. I'm not going anywhere."

She sighed again as she sat back on the couch. "So stubborn," she muttered.

"Yeah, you're one to talk," Emmett scoffed.

"I still can't believe Aro is accompanying them," Carlisle said. "He never leaves himself; he only sends others out to check."

"Well, he was very curious about Bella," Alice supplied.

"And my memories of it will be enough?" he directed at Calli.

"They were before," Calli answered. "But now I can't see it. I don't know."

"Is it still only the four of them?" Esme asked.

"Yeah."

"What do you think is going to happen?" Alice asked.

Calli shook her head. "I don't know. As the visions came I could see Aro trying to be more and more persistent. And now…I can't see anything really."

"Well, Emmett's right. I can't imagine Aro trying to be violent towards you, and even if it were to happen, I don't think there's much they could do," Carlisle said.

"How much longer?" Emmett questioned.

"A couple hours," Calli said distractedly. Jacob wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held to her tightly.

Everyone sat there, silently, looking around at each other, waiting for them to come.

"It's time," Calli said quietly, breaking the silence for the first time in hours. She stood, Jacob rising with her. She turned and looked at him, eyebrows raised.

"Nope," he said, grabbing her hand and holding it firmly.

Everyone in the room stood and filed out the front door one by one behind Calli. They went to stand out on the lawn and wait.

They heard them making their way through the forest long before they emerged from the trees. Aro was in the lead, with Jane, Demetri, and Michale following behind.

As soon as Aro caught sight of them his eyes widened slightly in surprise. He masked it quickly, though, with excitement as his eyes met Carlisle's.

"Carlisle, dear friend!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together softly.

"Hello Aro," Carlisle said with a smile.

Jane looked at the group, her face angry, while Demetri's eyes locked with Emmett. Michale eyed Alice speculatively and, after a moment, smiled triumphantly.

"It has been far, far too long," Aro continued as Carlisle walked forward. When Aro reached him he clasped Carlisle's hand affectionately.

"Yes, it has," Carlisle replied.

Aro's eyes remained on Carlisle for just a moment more before they raked over the rest of the group, finally landing on Calli, who he eyed quizzically. Jane's gaze was focused questioningly on her also.

"I see there are a couple additions to your family," Aro said.

Carlisle looked back toward the rest of the family and then looked forward to Aro again. "Yes, there are."

"I must admit," Aro went on, tearing his gaze from Calli, "we were thinking we might surprise you."

"By blocking me," Alice said in an annoyed tone.

Aro laughed. "Ah, Alice, so nice to see you again. And yes, Michale has used his wonderful gift to keep our visit a secret. But it doesn't appear to have worked, does it?" With that his gaze turned back to Calli.

They eyed each other for a minute before Aro turned his attention back to Carlisle. "But I am happy to see that Bella has been taken care of. I will say I very much expected to come and find her unchanged. But it looks like her transformation went well," Aro said, motioning to Carlisle's hand.

"You've come far. I'm glad you're satisfied."

"Well, I believe some questions will need to be answered for me to be satisfied," Aro answered with a smile. His gaze turned back to Calli and he began to walk closer to her.

She felt Jacob stiffen next to her and pull her closer. She squeezed his hand, but her eyes never left Aro's.

He stopped a few feet in front of her, eying her but saying nothing.

Calli finally broke their gaze and turned to look at Jane. "You can stop trying. Your powers won't work on anyone. Not while I'm here."

Jane narrowed her eyes as a low hiss escaped her lips. She walked closer to Aro, glaring at Calli the whole time. Calli turned her gaze back to Aro.

"I'm betting that you, my dear," he began slowly, "know Samuel, do you not?"

At this Calli's eyes widened, her expression looking staggered. "How…do you know Samuel?"

"Oh, we met Samuel long ago," he replied dismissively. "When we heard the rumors of him he was brought to meet with us. Sadly, he did not want to join us. However, he did promise that those he changed would not be…around for long. I'm curious as to why you are here now." He held his hand out to her. "May I?"

She smiled grimly. "Won't work. I'm not exactly like Samuel…none of your powers will work on me," she said as she waved to the group of them.

Aro frowned. "And why is that?"

"I was already part witch when he changed me. And vampire's powers don't work on witches."

Aro looked thoughtful for a moment before finally smiling. "May I try anyway, merely to satisfy my curiosity?"

Calli shrugged nonchalantly and held out the hand that Jacob wasn't grasping. She heard him growl low in his chest and turned to look at him, shaking her head minutely.

Aro grasped her hand gently for a minute before dropping it and sighing. "It's just as unnerving with you as it is with Bella."

Aro's gaze turned to Jacob, and his face wrinkled in disgust. "You smell positively awful. I've never come across your species before."

Jacob said nothing, just stared back with hard eyes.

Aro looked pointedly at their joined hands. "Now this is just priceless," he chuckled. "Don't tell me the two of you are mates?" He directed his query at Calli.

"Yes, we are," was all Calli said.

Aro laughed loudly this time. "A werewolf…and a vampire! That's utterly absurd."

"If you know of Samuel then you know Calli is not like other vampires Aro," Carlisle spoke up.

"Yes, I suppose that's true," Aro conceded, still chuckling. "Calli, do tell me…how is it that Samuel left you alive? He did let us know that he changed others now and then, for sport, but that he took care of them soon after. Why are you still living?"

Calli swallowed hard. "Because Samuel's dead."

Aro looked surprised. "Dead?!" he exclaimed. "And how did that come about?"

Jacob opened his mouth to speak, but Calli squeezed his hand hard, and he shut his mouth. "I killed him."

"You killed your creator?"

She only nodded.

"And why, may I ask?" he continued.

"Because he wanted to kill me. It was either me or him."

"But how did you overpower him? I was under the impression that none that he created were more powerful than him."

Calli smiled wistfully. "I was the exception. I was more powerful than him. I am more powerful than him."

Aro looked thoughtful. "Well…isn't that something! Samuel showed us the things he could do. They were amazing, to say the least." Aro stepped back, closer to his group.

He looked over everyone before his gaze met Calli's again. Then his eyes rose up to Jacob. "I'm assuming you are a member of a pack?"

Jacob only nodded.

Aro looked at Carlisle. "And you coexist with the wolves as well?"

"Yes. We have a treaty. They don't harm us, and we don't harm them."

"Your way of life just becomes more and more fascinating by the second! Living amongst the humans, and the werewolves even! And how did you come to be with the Cullen's Calli?" He turned back to her.

"Jacob found me and brought me to them," she said tensely.

"Ahhh," he murmured. "Well Calli, I'm excited to see what you are capable of. Will you please show me what you can do?"

Her expression became harder. "I'm blocking all of their powers right now."

"Oh, but that's nothing. Please, show me more."

She arched her eyebrow, saying nothing.

Aro smiled and nodded. "Yes, telepathy is quite amazing, but not something I haven't seen before. Samuel demonstrated that for us." He continued to look at her expectantly.

"Alright," she said coldly. "Who would you like me to use as an example?" She looked pointedly at the grouping behind him.

He turned and eyed them. "Why don't you use Jane?"

Jane opened her mouth to protest, but shut it quickly when Aro met her angry gaze.

Calli looked at Jane intently. Her eyes turned just before she spoke. "Jane…lie on the ground."

Jane immediately laid down flat, saying nothing. A moment later she stood up quickly, looking furious.

"Now, my dear Jane, why did you lie down?" Aro questioned her.

"I…I don't know. I had no choice, I suppose," she hissed. "My body just automatically did it."

"Mind control!" he exclaimed excitedly as he turned back to Calli. "Well that is just wonderful! You, my dear, would be a fantastic addition to our little grouping. Would you happen to have any interest in joining? I expect you've been well informed about us."

"Yes I have. And no…I don't want to join you. But thank you for the offer," Calli said firmly.

Aro said nothing, just looked at her thoughtfully for a minute. "You know," he began slowly, "I may consider…using force to bring someone like you to us. Your abilities would be extraordinarily helpful."

Jacob growled, but Calli only gave Aro a small smile. "And how would you force me?"

"Well, these," he motioned to the others, "are not the only ones I have. I could possibly…bring more. Perhaps with enough of us you might change your mind…or we might take you, mind made up or not."

Calli's expression suddenly turned menacing. "You could have a hundred…you still would not be able to take me." Her eyes became focused, and thunder sounded in the distance. She held her hand out in front of her, and sparks shot down into her palm. "I'd really rather not demonstrate, if you don't mind."

Aro sighed loudly. "It's just so sad that none of you wish to join us. You would make such beautiful additions. I don't suppose you've changed your mind Alice?"

"No thank you Aro," Alice said politely.

"Well, I can only hope that one day you may change your minds. Calli, are you the only of your kind?"

"Yes."

"And I assume you plan to keep it that way?"

"Yes."

"Such a waste," he sighed. "But I suppose it's for the best. Who knows what others might do with those powers." He looked everyone over again. "I'm sure Edward feels much the same," he murmured, for the most part to himself.

His face became bright again. "Well, please do tell Bella we're happy about her change," he directed at Carlisle. "And…do try to keep your numbers where they stand. Any more and there may be questions."

"Of course," Carlisle smiled.

Aro walked back to him and took his hand. "It was wonderful seeing you again. Do take care of yourself."

"You as well."

"Come," Aro said to the others as he walked toward the trees. They all looked at him incredulously, then turned to look at Calli and Jacob angrily.

Calli smiled and waved at Jane, who growled loudly.

"Jane! Come along," Aro said firmly. Jane glared at Calli once more before turning and following. Soon they disappeared from sight.

A few moments later Esme sighed with relief.

"That's it?" Emmett whined. "That was nothing! I expected something interesting to happen."

Rosalie smacked him on the arm.

"That went much better than expected," Carlisle murmured. "I wonder why your vision suddenly changed Calli."

Calli sighed. "I have no idea. But Aro was definitely considering using force to try and take me. Maybe that had something to do with it. Who knows."

"I'm surprised they didn't have more to say about the werewolves," Esme said.

"The Volturi don't start fights unnecessarily. The wolves are not threatening them in any way…they have no reason to be concerned with them," Jasper spoke up.

"I'm just relieved it's over," said Esme happily.

"I think we all are," said Carlisle, smiling down at her.

"Now we can focus on more important plans," said Alice brightly, bouncing up and down.

"Ugh," groaned Calli. "I think I might prefer dealing with the Volturi rather than wedding planning Alice."

Alice just grinned and grabbed her hand, tugging her forcefully toward the house.


	72. Chapter 71 Fall Into Place

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- So I have had so, so much going on, and finally just sat here and said, I don't care if it takes me all night, I need to finish this story. So here it is, and it did take me all night. So since my eight month old will be up in just a few hours you'd better appreciate it! I'm just kidding! I love you all. You have been the absolute most amazing readers and reviewers, and there are tears in my eyes at this story being over with. This chapter, along with the epilogue, are its conclusion, although I have plans for a few little one shots. So I hope you enjoy, and, as the hard working all night writer, I do have one request. I request that, since I wrote a staggering 72 chapters, not including the epilogue, that all the wonderful readers who read this chapter leave a review. Yes, ALL of you. I know, I know, it's a lot to ask, but I'm being stingy since it's the end. So, I love you all, I loved writing this story, and I hope you enjoy! Oh, and the picture of Calli's dress is up on my profile.**

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"Are you nervous?" Alice questioned Calli while grasping her hand tightly, putting another topcoat over her French tips.

Calli just rolled her eyes and smiled. "After everything that's happened, I think I'm the most relaxed I've been in a really long time."

Alice made a disgusted sound low in her throat. "That's probably because you didn't even plan a real wedding! You wouldn't even let me do the stuff I wanted to, I at least could have…"

Calli put up her hand to halt the tirade she had listened to many times already. "It's done Alice…there's nothing you can do about it now. Might as well quit complaining."

Alice sighed loudly, rolling her eyes. "You only have one wedding you know…well, one first, real wedding at least."

"Yep, and it's exactly how I want it to be."

"Speaking of the wedding," Rosalie said, sauntering into the room, "the groom just walked in."

Calli smiled, while Alice looked furious.

"He can't see the bride till the wedding!" she fumed, beginning to make her way out the door.

"Nope, doesn't count yet, it's only eleven thirty five," Calli said triumphantly, darting in front of Alice and making it downstairs first. Alice followed her angrily.

As soon as Calli saw Jacob she let out a relieved breath. She knew all the danger they had been facing was behind them, but she still had that weight off the shoulders feeling every time she caught sight of him, no matter how long it had been since they'd seen each other.

"Hey," he said, grinning at her.

"You're cutting it really close," Alice said angrily before Calli had a chance to respond.

He held up his hands in defense. "I promise I'll be gone by the stroke of midnight."

Alice only narrowed her eyes while Calli went to Jacob's side and took his hand.

"Why don't we go for a walk?" he murmured close to her ear.

She nodded, then looked over at Alice. "Stroke of midnight," she mimicked, drawing a cross over her heart.

Alice sighed in frustration. "Like anything I say would make a difference anyway," she mumbled.

They both grinned at her and Jacob began pulling Calli out the front door. They walked down the steps and over to the trees, entering the forest in silence.

"So what are you doing here?" Calli finally asked once they crossed the line of trees.

"My sisters are driving me up the wall," he admitted, rolling his eyes.

"They didn't seem so bad," she said, smiling, recalling the meeting between them yesterday.

Rebecca had been very warm and open with her, greeting her like she had known her for years with a huge hug. But Rachel had been a little more reserved. Calli had a feeling she wasn't so happy about her baby brother getting married so soon.

Calli figured Rebecca was a little more understanding since she had been married so young. Rachel seemed more set on seeing Jacob go off to college and get an education before settling down, and she seemed a little angry that no one else was siding with her. She seemed to figure they would want Jacob to get off of the little reservation and do something bigger with his life. If she knew everything about him, she would probably be more understanding.

But according to Jacob since his sisters were for the most part far from home the council didn't think they needed to know about the pack. The less people who knew the better.

"That's because they're not your sisters. Rebecca is asking me billions of questions about you, me…us. She…wants to give me…advice." He trembled in disgust when saying this, and Calli could only imagine what kind of 'advice' he had had to endure.

She laughed loudly, shaking her head.

He just glared momentarily, then turned his focus forward again. "Then there's Rachel, who keeps telling me how young I am, how there are so many things I should do before getting married. How there's plenty of time for that later, if it's real it will last, blah blah blah. I told my dad if there was much more of this I was just gonna phase right in front of them and get it over with." He grinned. "So he sent me out for a walk."

"Well, I guess I do have the advantage of everyone knowing what's going on," Calli teased. "Although I've had to endure my fair share of advice."

Jacob stopped walking, halting Calli with him. They turned toward each other.

"Are you scared?" he asked her quietly.

"Of course not," she answered immediately. "Why…are you?"

He grinned. "Nope. I'm happy it's finally happening. And relieved it's not some big huge thing."

"So am I. Although all of Alice's kicking and screaming almost got to me…we would have had the biggest wedding of the century."

"And this is really what you want? Because if you wanted something bigger…"

"It's exactly what I want," she interrupted. "And it's what you want. It's what we want…that's the way it's supposed to be, right?"

He grinned again. "Right."

"I think I'm more worried about afterwards," Calli went on.

Jacob just raised an eyebrow questioningly.

She jabbed him in the ribs. "Not that. Well…uh…that's not what I was talking about just now."

He chuckled, pulling her closer.

"I mean…after all that…when they leave, and…"

"Scared to be alone with me?" he teased.

"Haha," she scoffed. "I guess…I'm just worried about everything changing. Do you think we'll change?"

"Probably…over time. But we'll change together."

"Together," she mused, smiling. "I like that."

She went silent, looking off in the distance.

Jacob put his hand under her chin, lifting her eyes to his. "I know what you're worried about. And I've already told you…don't."

She smiled faintly. "I know."

"This is what I want. I know that eventually I'll be leaving things behind. I've thought everything through. And I know I'm…we're…doing the right thing."

She smiled again, then sighed. "Well then…I guess I should stop worrying."

"Yes, you should." He started walking again, this time pulling her back toward the house.

She trudged along reluctantly. "Ugh…Alice is going to want to do more endless beauty rituals on me. This is where the needing to sleep thing would really come in handy."

"Yeah well, I need to sleep and I still probably won't," he said grudgingly. "My house is so packed now that you can't even walk through. And I'm sure the sisters will have more to say." He looked terrified at the prospect.

"Well, you won't have to endure it for too much longer."

"And then it will be just you and me…now that's what I'm really looking forward to." He stopped walking and pulled her to him tightly, wrapping his arms around her.

"Me too," she murmured, hugging him back. She pressed her head against his chest and sighed. "I won't see you till tomorrow night," she said morosely.

"I know," he said sadly. "But after that, we'll never be apart again."

"That's definitely something to look forward to," she said more brightly.

He sighed. "I think that midnight is about to…stroke," he said jokingly.

She pulled back and looked up at him. "Tomorrow," she said softly.

"Yeah…tomorrow." He leaned down and pressed his lips softly to hers.

She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him to her more tightly. The kiss deepened for just a moment, then he pulled away.

"Tomorrow," he whispered.

"I know, I know," she mumbled, releasing her hold on him.

"And then I'll never walk you to your door and say goodnight again," he said softly.

She leaned up quickly and kissed him on the cheek, then sprinted up the stairs toward the door. "If I don't let you go now, I might not at all," she said over her shoulder.

"Calli," he began.

"I know," she said, turning and smiling. "I love you too."

He smiled. "Tomorrow."

She smiled back. "Tomorrow."

* * *

Calli sat on the couch with her legs curled under her, staring absently at the wall. She was going over all the details again in her mind. 

Alice hadn't been too happy when Calli had begun planning the super casual wedding. Alice was all about the frills. Calli just wanted something simple. So she argued that it was her wedding, and she wanted it her way. Alice couldn't argue too much with that, and begrudgingly went along with what Calli wanted, voicing her complaints the whole time.

Her hair was already done, nothing too fancy. They had just blow dried it out, pinned a few pieces back with some white flowers. Her makeup was light, a little eyeliner, mascara, and blush, with some faint pink lip gloss.

Alice was even less happy with her dress. A simple strapless dress, renaissance satin with lace covering. It had a high satin sash, a trumpet skirt that flared slightly at the bottom. A slight sweeping train in the back. Simple and casual.

Perfect for their beach wedding at twilight. She and Jacob had talked it through and wanted to keep it as simple as possible. A few people on the beach. No chairs, just everyone standing around. Emily had insisted on using a wooden arch for them to stand under, so they had found a beautiful white one. Carlisle would walk her up the aisle, then stay there and perform the ceremony.

Very quick, very simple. Then they would have a table out with a little food Emily was taking care of. They would light a bonfire. No fancy flowers, no bridesmaids. Sam would serve as Jacob's best man, and they would both be dressed casually too. Calli hadn't even bought a fancy pair of shoes. She would wear a white pair of sandals until she reached the beach, then she would wear no shoes at all. Neither would Jacob, Sam, or Carlisle. The ceremony would be performed right on the edge of the water, where the waves lapped up. Alice complained the bottom of her dress would get wet. She didn't care.

Of course Alice and Rosalie had bought beautiful dresses to wear anyway, and they had actually gotten kind of excited at beach friendly dresses. But they were both still unhappy at the lack of frills and fuss.

But Calli was perfectly content. Simple was what she wanted. She looked down at her hand, which was missing the ring she had worn since the moment Jacob slipped it on her finger. He had taken it to put it on her hand at the ceremony. The simple gold band would be held by Carlisle until it was time to put it on his finger.

All she cared about was that things finally seemed to be in place. Things were calm, she and Jacob were together, and soon they would be bound together forever. They would start their life together. She smiled at just the thought.

"You look very calm," Esme said gently, walking to the couch and sitting just a few feet away.

She grinned. "I guess that's one of the perks of having a simple wedding…not much to worry about."

"You look happy too," Esme continued, smiling. "It's nice to see you happy."

Calli smiled. "I am happy." She paused. "I'm really going to miss you guys though."

Against more of Alice's complaints, they weren't taking an actual honeymoon. They decided they could do that later. After all, they would certainly have a lot of time. Everyone was all packed up, and after the wedding they would be taking off for Alaska, leaving Jacob and Calli at the house. The two of them would live here for a little while, maybe two years or so, before they would join the Cullen's. Of course, she and the Cullen's would visit each other, but Calli wanted Jacob to have as much time near his family, his friends, as he could.

While Carlisle said two years was no time at all, she hadn't yet lived for an eternity, and it seemed like a long time to her. She was going to miss everyone terribly, although she was excited at the prospect of them spending so much time alone together. And Carlisle said that time was important for them.

"We'll miss you too. But in no time at all you'll be back. And you'll enjoy this time nonetheless."

Calli smiled. "I know."

Alice bounded down the stairs. "Time to start getting dressed," she said in a sing song voice, her spirits higher now that it was getting close.

Calli rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Of course." She grinned and followed Alice upstairs.

* * *

Calli and Carlisle stood at the edge of the sand, out of sight of the wedding guests. Everyone else had gone ahead to stand and wait. Alice had insisted on trailing rose petals along where she and Carlisle would walk. It was a sort of long walk, since they were back far enough so no one would see them, and they'd be walking to the water's edge. 

"You look beautiful," Carlisle said quietly, smiling.

Calli smiled back. "Thanks."

"Are you ready?" He put out his arm for her to grasp.

She looked up at him. "Thank you Carlisle. For…walking me, performing the ceremony…for everything." She took his arm.

He grinned at her. "No thanks necessary. That's what fathers do."

They were both grinning as they began walking down the stretch of sand, toward the guests. The Cullen's were there of course, with the exception of Edward and Bella. Then there were all the members of the pack, Jacob's sisters, Emily, Sue, Quil Sr., Bella's father Charlie, and a few people Calli had seen before but wasn't quite sure who they were. And the only other people Calli had invited.

Jaqie and her father. Their father. She had done it on a whim, at the last minute, calling Jaqie and hastily inviting her, mentioning she could bring her parents if she wanted. She wasn't surprised that Jaqie's mother wasn't there. She had figured her father would find a way for it to just be the two of them. While Jaqie hadn't picked up on how much her dance team friend and her father looked alike, other's might.

As she got closer everyone began grinning. Jaqie's father…her father…looked a little sad. But she supposed that couldn't be helped.

And as they came around the few guests, Calli finally came within sight of Jacob. He and Sam were true to their plans, dressed in slacks and white dress shirts unbuttoned at the chest and rolled up at the sleeves. Jacob's hair was sleek and shiny and, true to his word, down out of the usual ponytail and glistening in the moonlight. The water lapped at their feet.

His eyes came up to meet her gaze, and the easy grin she loved so much came across his face. She grinned back, and for the first time in her life, everything felt easy, everything felt simple, and everything felt so perfectly right. She walked toward the only life she wanted, the only thing she needed, without a trace of apprehension, knowing everything in her life had truly fallen into place.


	73. Epilogue: Passage of Time

**_Disclaimer- The fabulous characters of my story, with the exclusion of a few, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and come from her Twilight series._**

**A/N- Did you all leave a review? I know you did, because you're just that awesome. So, I know some of you may have expected more in that last chapter, but that was always how I planned to end it, and as I said, I do plan on doing a few one shots of things that weren't covered. So, here is another assignment for you, should you choose to accept it, haha. I've gotten lots of questions about this story, and if you finish it and find yourself with more, leave a review or shoot me a message. When I get them all together I'll compile a Q and A. Also, if there are things you'd like me to do as one shots, let me know those too, I want to know what you guys want to see. Now, I know a lot of people want to see a lemon of the honeymoon, and I will let you know I am undecided on whether I'll do that or not, as I'm afraid I would really butcher it. I don't feel I write those things well. So, I hope you enjoy this little epilogue, and my story that I have had so much fun writing. Thanks so much to you all!**

* * *

Calli looked around the classroom, so much like the hundreds of classrooms she had seen over the years. She looked quickly over her shoulder, back at Jacob, who grinned and waved. She smiled back, shaking her head, then turned back toward the front.

The teacher rifled through a few pieces of paper, grabbing one and standing up, looking over the class. His eyes rested on Calli a little longer than the rest of the students, but she was long used to this by now. Then his eyes went to Alice beside her, who he stared at for even longer, before clearing his throat.

"Alright everyone, let's keep it down. I'll call roll now, you know the drill."

He called a few names before getting to theirs.

"Jacob Black?"

"Here," came his deep booming voice from a couple rows behind her. She smiled at just the sound. She noticed quite a few students turning to look at him, their eyes widening, and smiled bigger.

"Alice Cullen?"

"Here," she said in her high soprano voice, raising her hand just slightly and giving the teacher a wide grin. He stared wordlessly for a moment before pulling his eyes away and looking back at the roster. Many students' eyes remained glued to Alice, some still glued to Jacob.

"Calli Cullen?"

"Here," she said, raising her hand slightly also. Her sensitive ears picked up on the little noise of disapproval Jacob made. She turned back to him briefly and smiled again.

The teacher stared at her before moving on, calling on the rest of the class in order. After that was done there was the routine beginning of the year speeches, and soon the bell was ringing signaling the end of class.

Jacob immediately came to Calli, wrapping his arm around her waist and glaring down some blonde boy Calli hadn't even noticed. He stared at them sheepishly for a moment, then turned, walking quickly out the door.

"You shouldn't do that," she admonished him, poking him in the ribs.

He grinned down at her. "I have to get them in line early."

"So how long do you think till the rumors start?" Alice inquired.

Calli rolled her eyes. "You do this every time."

"Hey, it's mildly entertaining," she argued.

"End of the week," Jacob said.

"I give it two days," Alice volunteered.

"No way. End of the day and they'll be flying," Calli chimed in.

"Especially when they see all of us together. That always gets them going good," Jacob said, smiling wickedly.

"Alright, see ya," Alice said, heading in the opposite direction.

"I'll walk you," Jacob said, going in the opposite direction of his next class. He always walked her regardless of if they had the class together.

"So you had your mini hissy fit today," Calli said teasingly.

Jacob rolled his eyes, his face becoming serious. "I hate hearing them call you that. That's not your name."

"Wel,l if they called me Calli Black they would think we were related. That would make this," her hand settled on top of his that rested on her waist, "even more rumor worthy."

"Yeah yeah, I know. But still."

They got to her class and she stopped, leaning up to kiss him briefly. "We have the next one together," she said with a smile.

"I know." He smiled back, then leaned down to kiss her once more. "See you soon."

She squeezed his hand before walking into the classroom and taking her seat. After the teacher had gone through the role and began the speeches, she pulled the leather bound journal and a pen out of her bag.

_So Jacob keeps complaining that I never write in any of the beautiful journals he gets me, so I figure I'd better start. And where better than an English class I've taken multiple times over._

_Looking back, sometimes it's hard to believe so much time has gone by…and then sometimes it's hard to believe it hasn't been more. When you have an eternity before you time starts to get a little funny._

_Sometimes when I look in the mirror and I see my face, the face of a seventeen year old girl who has been with her husband for fifty years, I shake my head at the wonder of it all. It's funny how sometimes, even after all the time that has passed, I still can't believe what happened._

_But I can't imagine if it hadn't. If that moment in the woods that day had never occurred. If I didn't have my unbelievably wonderful husband by my side that makes me happier than I ever thought I could be. Who I love more than I knew I was capable of._

_Jacob. Oh, Jacob. A man that, impossible as it may sometimes seem, I love him more and more every day. Because every day I love him so very much that it feels like it couldn't possibly grow. But it does. He is the most loving, caring, selfless, wonderful person I've ever known. And I could never imagine a life possible without him._

_If I didn't have my great family by my side, who I look at every day and wonder what I could have done to deserve them._

_Carlisle…the first person I knew without a doubt cared about me. Who has truly been my father in every single way that matters. And who has enriched my life in so many ways._

_Esme, the most compassionate, loving woman I have ever known. She gives her entire self to us all, looking for nothing in return. For that she is such a wonderful mother._

_Alice. The best friend anyone could hope to have. Her friendship is invaluable, and I am grateful for it every day._

_Jasper. Who, even in silence, can convey his care and concern._

_Emmett. Who never fails to make me smile. His love is in his humor, and he shows it every single day._

_Rosalie. Ahh, Rosalie. Still the most self involved person I know. She chooses to guard her love and give it to only a few. And I'm glad I have been one of those._

_Edward. His focus has always been, and will always be, Bella. I've seen few be as selfless and loyal in their lives as he has._

_And Bella. I count myself lucky that I love the only other woman who has loved my husband, and who my husband once loved. She showed me so much I needed to see. She loves to see others happy. Her and Edward's selflessness compliment each other well._

_It's always ironic to me when I think about the fact that my life didn't actually start until I died. Because my life began that moment I opened my eyes and Carlisle looked over at me. That moment I entered what would be my eternal family._

_That set my life on the path that has brought me here. The path that has shown me life, shown me love, shown me the world. I've never been bitter about living forever, about never aging._

_With Jacob at my side it feels like there may never be enough time. Every moment I look at him I know how unbelievably lucky I am. And I treasure every memory like we're going to grow old and eventually die together._

_But I'm one of the lucky few who just get to make memory after memory after memory. Even after sixty seven years of living, he is still the most amazing thing I have ever seen._

_I'm sure this diary will just be full of Jacob Jacob Jacob. He is the always the foremost thought on my mind. But I think putting down some of the momentous things in my life might be interesting, so I've decided I'll do that._

_And of course, the most momentous ones happened in that very first year. That first year that was so terribly difficult, so painful at times. But that I wouldn't change for anything in the world._

_Because all of those events brought me here, and I can never regret something that has given me the wonderful life I have now._

_So, I think I'll start my diary with those first occasions. The ones that seem the most exciting, the most action packed. The ones that really formed my whole life._

_Waking up and finding out what I was. Meeting a family that would become mine. Discovering my powers. Meeting Jacob…oh…that one will be a blast to write! Our relationship beginning to form._

_My ascension…Samuel. Of course Samuel. His story is one to definitely put down. His death. Strange how a death that caused me so much guilt also set me free. There is so much to write. So much to put down. But…I've got all the time in the world._

_So here I will write down the pinnacles of my life. Not just because Jacob keeps hounding me to write, not just because I have endless amounts of time to fill, not just because I feel the need to immortalize my immortal life on paper, but because…well…_

_It is one hell of a story._


	74. Author's Note x2

**_WARNING! WARNING!- If you have not read Breaking Dawn, you should not read this note!_**

**A/N- Well, I know this story has long been over, but I just had to put a comment here. I was kind of amazed at how many similarities there were between Breaking Dawn and this story. I think it's totally awesome that there were Half Breeds in both of them. It's kind of neat to think my brain might run a little along the same lines as SM. Anyway, just thought I'd put that out there...LOL.**


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